


Wings Like Midnight

by WriterOfManyColours



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AUish, Angst, Big Brother Gabriel, Brotherly Love, Cas has Black Wings, Fighting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel has Gold Wings, Gen, M/M, Michael vs lucifer, Protective Gabriel, Wing Colour Discrimination, Wings, btw for those who are here for destiel or sam or dean, i'm gonna stop now, its my first series as you can probably tell by how shit i'm describing it, jesus christ i dont know what to tag this as, like its set aaaaaaages ago, set before life on earth, they dont come in for a while yet, this is the story of Gabriel and Castiel and how they became who they are, we're starting almost right at the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:14:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8362516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterOfManyColours/pseuds/WriterOfManyColours
Summary: An angel's wings are a beautiful and unique thing, their colour supposedly signifying their owners personality and temperament. But when an fledgling is branded an 'abomination' the moment he's created, will Gabriel find it in himself to help the little one? And is it possible that Heaven's new angel could help him back?  (I promise the story's better and more complex than the summary)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I've been wanting to post this for ages but I never had the nerve too. And today I was suddenly just like "imma post this" so yeah. Out of all my fanfics, this is the one I've put the most effort into so hopefully its good. Also, I've only written a certain amount of chapters so once we start catching up with what I haven't written it might be a while between chapters. I don't really know.  
> Notes about the story; I know angels don't have genders or physical bodies but because I'm trying to get better at actually writing so I've decided to make it easier for myself and simplify it so angels look like their vessels in Heaven. Also, "Goaanu" is Enochian for "Creation".
> 
> Okay so if my crap summary and rambling didn't put you off, I hope you enjoy reading!!

Despite the crippling sense of emptiness slowly starting to consume him, Gabriel could appreciate the subtle genius of his father's masterpiece.

Gazing out across the vast ocean, he could still remember the Earth in it's early days. Just a ball of mud, spinning through the universe; no dashes of colour, no sprinkles of life, not a drop of emotion. Just a scalding, baron ball of mud.

Then Dad had waved his magic wand and struck a brilliant shock of lightning into the mud, illuminating the sky with a terrifying, explosive flare of white light. Michael had droned on about amino acids and atoms and other mind-numbing facts while Raphael listened, wide-eyed and attentive, hanging onto every word uttered from her eldest brother's mouth. Only Gabriel and Lucifer could appreciate what was being created; an inspiring concoction of hope, light and endless possibilities. They had looked out at the smoky, lifeless wasteland of toxic gas in stunned awe, dreaming of the beauty that would one day unfold, created on this little ball of scalding mud. Now, billions of years after life was made possible, a fish was soon to haul itself up onto land and start the next chapter of the story.

Gabriel looked up at the blazing sun and smiled, silently thanking his father for his gift to the universe. Only on this planet did he truly feel content, still as speechless in admiration as all those millions of years ago, standing next to his brother. Here, weightlessness overtook him, floating on a cloud of chosen forgetfulness. Here, he could neglect to remember heaven's terrible fighting, started by the fury and bitterness of his eldest brothers. Here, there were no pointless rules enforced by archangels with halos shoved up their squeaky-clean asses.

The helpless, empty feeling he knew so well started collecting in the pit of his stomach as his thoughts switched back to his brothers. Gabriel flinched as he recalled the resounding crack of Lucifer's fist crashing into Michael's jaw. He clenched his eyes shut, as if that would somehow separate him from the battles of heaven raging above him.

Gabriel stayed like that for a while, eyes closed and hugging his knees while the sea in front of him gently crashed against the shore. Taking a deep, shaking breath he opened his eyes, glassy with emotion, to gaze out at the endless mass of salt water. Tears filled his golden orbs and overflowed, sliding down his cheeks and dripping into the grey waters. Gripping his knees tighter, Gabriel's striking wings wrapped around him, encasing him in a soft, cocoon of gold.

Finally feeling secure, Gabriel allowed himself to sob openly, head bowed in misery as his body shook. All the pent up anger and sadness and frustration had risen too high for him to contain, too much for his exhausted body to carry. For a few minutes he stayed like this, hugging his knees and weeping as the ocean lapped almost silently in front of him.

Eventually his anger for his siblings gradually drained away to be replaced with guilt and self loathing. Here he was, pathetically crying to himself while his younger siblings were back home having to listen to Lucifer and Michael's constant battling. Chewing his lip, Gabriel reigned back the flood of emotions and furiously wiped away the droplets of weakness dripping down his cheeks.

Every day he has to look at his little brothers and sisters trying to continue like nothing's wrong while the echoes of war thunder violently in the background. He sees the paralyzing fear in their eyes as booming roars rumble in the distance, getting closer and closer, day by day.

He despised how feared Lucifer, Michael and even Raphael had become, still remembering them as his protective older siblings. The ones that taught him how to act, what he should do, what morals he should follow. They'd cared for him, protected him, looked after him, _loved him_. But none of his younger siblings remembered that in their blinding terror of the future. Sometimes, Gabriel found he couldn't either.

The once warm hearted older siblings had now become figures to be obeyed and feared. Instead of being equals, the archangels were now a ruling, unstoppable force, treated almost like royalty. And Gabriel hated it.

At first, Gabriel thought it would just be Raphael, Michael and Lucifer treated like commanders, seen as it was _them_ acting like massive, winged dicks. But then, gradually, he began to notice how attitudes towards him changed too. He was no longer that annoying, protective older brother, but a cold and calculating warrior, capable of committing atrocities without a second thought or hesitation. Submissive, down-turned heads and stuttering voices met him wherever he went, as if he were somehow a danger to them. As if he could _hurt_ his brothers and sisters.

Michael, Raphael and Lucifer relished the change, enjoying replacing the god they had once loved and cherished. They thrived of the power they were being given while Gabriel watched, mourning for the happy times that were now lost forever, craving the long-forgotten past when all angels were equal and united in their love for father.

In one great, swooping motion, Gabriel unwrapped his wings from around his defeated body and relaxed them by his side. Crossing his legs, he quickly rehearsed what he would say before clasping his hands and raising his tear-streaked face towards the sky.

"Um, hey Dad. How's it going? I hope you're having fun doing... Whatever you’re doing.."

Gabriel sighed dejectedly and ran a hand through his hair. God, he'd never sounded so utterly pathetic. Biting his lip, he pressed on with his prayer.

"I know you're probably doing something important but we, um... We need you here."

Suddenly feeling vulnerable, he looked around to check no one else was watching. The last thing he needed was one of his younger siblings finding out the extent of their older brother's temper tantrums. Satisfied he was alone, he turned back to the empty sky.

"No one will admit it but everyone's scared. Even me. Especially me," he said with a shaky laugh. 

"Mike and Luci are fighting over everything, Raph's just plain annoying, everyone is shitting themselves and I have no idea what to do about it, Dad. I have no idea how to fix it."

The rambling mess of words quickly became a desperate plea.

"Father, I realise with everything that’s happened you probably don’t love us anymore and I can’t blame you. But please, I’m begging you, help me. I can’t do this on my own. I can feel myself breaking and I don’t think I can-" Gabriel swallowed deeply and rapidly blinked to rid himself of the moisture building up in his eyes again.

"I feel like I'm trapped. Everyone's either scared of me because they think I'll smite them or sneer at me because I don't want to pick a side. And I won't. I won't do either. Fight or pick a side. I just want it to stop. I just want it to end."

His bottom lip trembled and he closed his golden, pained eyes tightly shut. 

"I'm just so tired, Dad. I just want it to be over. I want heaven to go back to the way it was when we loved each other and we were excited about Earth and I got to talk and laugh and you were always around and.. And.."

The sound of nothing extinguished the twinkle of light Gabriel's golden eyes had gained as he remembered heaven's abandoned past. The lack of answer crashed through his thoughts and pulled him back to reality, where he sat, looking around for his father. The dying embers of hope that had been resting in the pit of his stomach were now cold and dead, leaving nothing but the vacant feeling of desperate loneliness.

Gabriel smiled blankly to himself. He supposed he should feel annoyed for even hoping God would answer but he found he felt nothing. No annoyance, no disappointment, no anger; just the cold sensation of a sad kind of emptiness, eating at his insides, filling him up yet leaving him hollow to the core.

A sudden roar sounded from heaven, shattering the silence. Gabriel started and a flower of dread began blooming inside him.

" _ **ALL ANGELS COME TO THE GOAANU IMMEDIATELY!**_ " Michael's voice boomed, reverberating through his mind. For a few seconds the order resounded in his skull, vibrating within his head like an irritating fly.

Sighing deeply, Gabriel closed his eyes and lost himself in the calm melody of the waves for a few more blissful seconds. He breathed in the sharp, salty air and looked around, trying to imagine what the first fish will look like, crawling onto the beach. Then he looked up at the sky and wondered how long he could stay before he was forced to obey, not wanting to leave the only place he felt safe.

" _ **GABRIEL, I SAID IMMEDIATELY!**_ "

Gabriel rolled his eyes and stood up, stretching his gigantic wings behind him. For one last second, he stared out at the ocean, yearning for the waters to swallow him up and hide him from the universe.

" _ **NOW, BROTHER!**_ "

" _ **Chill, Dad, I'm coming,**_ " he thought back sarcastically before extended his wings to their full capacity in a glorious flash of gold. Finally, after a second of pause, he launched himself into the sky with one strong swoop, creasing his brow in confusion. 

What was so damn important anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel sees what all the fuss is about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this is the second chapter! I have introduced Heaven as a physical place and I've given the Angels genders too. I realise that Angels wouldn't have genders and Heaven wouldn't be a physical place but I'm still just trying to improve my writing skills so I've made it a little easier for myself. I hope you enjoy!

Gabriel's wings glided on the stardust, a kaleidoscope of colours in the light of the sun. Oranges, golds and yellows reflected of his feather's silky surfaces and emitted a warm, powerful glow that lit up the dark space surrounding him.

He revelled in the silence space offered, knowing he should enjoy it while it lasted. After making his last remark to Michael he'd shut off angel radio and blocked out any reprimands Michael wanted to make. Boy, was he going to hear about _that_ when he got back.

The thought of Michael's wrath encouraged his wings to move faster, not wanting to venture further into his older brother's bad books. Gabriel narrowed his eyes and flapped his wings furiously, the movements appearing like gigantic golden waves. The mass of stars and planets whizzing past him thinned until there were none and at last he spotted the bright white light of home in the distance.

He steadied the beat of his wings and soared through the blazing portal to Heaven, closing his eyes to block out the dazzling rays of light. For a few seconds Gabriel felt like he's been tossed off a cliff; the sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed his senses, making him feel powerless and out of control.

Then, just as suddenly, the sensation stopped and he entered Heaven, the noise hitting him like a brick. High-pitched whirring surrounded him, comforting in its familiarity, while the excited chattering of his siblings could be discerned in the background. There was an unusual, exhilarating atmosphere in the air, something to which Gabriel was unaccustomed. With a large flap of his wings he powered higher into the infinite sky until he could see far and wide.

Gabriel found it hard to put the picturesque beauty of Heaven into words. His home was a monumental place; old and mighty, yet mesmerising and radiant. Orderly, linear pathways, paved with plain white bricks that shone slightly, illuminated the walkways with an ethereal glow. Towering, block-like buildings accompanied the paths, identical in style and colour. "Perfect" is the only word that comes close to describing Heaven's magnificence.

Yet, despite this, Gabriel found the closest he could get to paradise was Earth, not Heaven. Where Heaven is orderly and neat, Earth is wild and chaotic. Where Heaven is stoic and emotionless, Earth is vibrant and free. Heaven seemed to abhor difference and originality while Earth celebrated it. Everything there was new and interesting and unique and it enthralled Gabriel, gripping him in a cloud of wonder and curiosity.

Sighing, Gabriel realised he'd got caught up in his thoughts again and glanced down to locate the Guaanu. It was like a large arena, made by God as a somewhat workshop. It was there, hovering in Heaven's endless sky, he realised his siblings, normally scattered about, were now all congregated at the Guaanu. This realisation caused him to release an even larger sigh.

All of his siblings in one place. What could go wrong?

Gabriel hovered for a few seconds more, preparing himself, before tucking in his wings and nose diving to the ground like a bolt of lightning. His golden wings flashed as he plummeted, drawing the other angel's attention. They watched, shocked by his reckless escapade.

Seconds before hitting the ground, Gabriel flared out his wings and came to a sudden stop, stumbling in the process. He took a few seconds to regain balance before plastering a cocky grin on his face and curtsying to his family. The angels stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. Finally, they settled on bowing their heads in unison.

Rising from his deep curtsy, Gabriel saw their reaction and barely contained a groan in despair. Instead he turned around and strolled towards where the archangel's sat, at the head of the arena. They all were sat down; Raphael on the far left followed by Michael, situated next to Gabriel's empty chair. Next to that, on the far right, slumped Lucifer. By some miracle, him and Mike were refraining from ripping each other's throats out. 

As expected, his fellow archangels regarded him with a look of disgust save Lucifer, who was gazing into the distance with his deep, red wings held high and a thunderous expression carved into his features. _Drama queen._

"Was there a reason for that or are you just plain stupid?" Michael asked condescendingly, his spotless white wings looming over his head.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Mikey," Gabriel replied, grinning as he took his place and slouched, trying to appear as casual as possible. Raphael snorted, her dark orange wings looking small and insignificant next to Michael's.

"Why would he be jealous of you?"

"The list is endless; an adorable personality, a stunning pair of wings, devilish good looks-" 

"-A massive ego," Raphael muttered under her breath.

"Hey, it's hard to be humble when you're this great!" he said, winking at Michael's stony face.

This earned a huff of laughter from Lucifer which Gabriel counted as a victory.

"So, what's this meeting for anyway, Mike?"

Instead of answering, Michael stood up from his seat and his younger sibling's nervous chattering hushed to a silence. The eldest archangel waited a few seconds before speaking, making sure all attention was on him. Gabriel heard a faint scoff from Lucifer and prayed he wouldn't start something so publically.

"A fledgling is due to be gifted to us very soon," Michael's voice boomed around the arena.  
The hushed silence rapidly became a symphony of shocked gasps and excited muttering. Gabriel sat up in his chair, forgetting to act casual in the revelation of the news. A fledgling hadn't been born in over a million years; everyone had assumed there would be no more. He watched as shouts sounded from the crowd, begging for permission to be the new fledgling's Guardian. Those who'd never had a fledgling were desperate for the chance despite having never met it.

"Quiet." Michael ordered, silencing the entirety of Heaven's population, except one.

"How soon?" called the small voice of a fledgling with deep purple wings. Gabriel smiled fondly as the fledgling got yanked back by his embarrassed Guardian, Anna. He was named Balthazar, if Gabriel remembered correctly.

"Soon," Michael replied stoically.

"How do you know?" Gabriel questioned, earning him a scathing look from Michael and Raphael. Gabriel raised his eyebrows and hands defensively.

"Same as always. A ball of energy has appeared in the birthing chamber,” Michael answered through gritted teeth, infuriated that his word had been questioned.

"Who will be the fledgling's Guardian?" shouted another voice from the crowd which was followed by more muttering.

"Did I say any of you could speak?" bellowed Michael, casting the Guaanu into a sharp silence. He looked around menacingly, daring anyone to talk. Even Gabriel had stiffened up, not immune to Michael's scare tactics. The only one unaffected was Lucifer, who looked severely bored and unimpressed.

"The choosing of the Guardian will be conducted as normal,” Michael continued as if nothing had happened, much to Gabriel's relief. 

"First, we will allow the fledgling to form fully. Those who wish to take up the responsibility of guiding, protecting and teaching the fledgling will put themselves forward. Only then will they prove themselves worthy."

Michael looked around the Guaanu once more before nodding.

"That is all."

And with that he turned around and entered the door behind him, leading to the birthing chamber, wings proudly stretched out behind him. Raphael loyally followed seconds after and with their departure came the elevated volume of the crowd excitedly chatting about the new, completely unexpected angel.

Gabriel breathed out, letting go of the tension he didn't even realise he was holding. Turning to Lucifer, he smirked and raised his eyebrows.

"Waddya think, Luci?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes at the nickname but responded, which Gabriel found a pleasant surprise.

"It doesn't affect me. Even if I were interested in the new brat, archangels can't be Guardians."

"Oh yeah.." he said disappointedly, only just remembering the fact. He didn't think about Guardianship that much but he was a little jealous of all those who have had the opportunity to raise a little angel.

"Still, it's interesting, don't you think?" Gabriel continued without waiting for an answer. "Why do you think dad's made a fledgling now, after so long?"

"Maybe he's tired of all of us. Wants a change,” he suggested, watching the crowd of angels slowly disperse.

"What, even you with your irresistible charm?" Gabriel asked seriously, managing not to smile. Lucifer tried to keep a straight face too but the corners of his mouth began to twitch.

"I see that smile!" Gabriel said teasingly, now grinning himself. Lucifer shoved him lightly just as Raphael came storming out the birthing chamber, wings bright and quivering with excitement.

"Make a circle! Make a circle!" she cried, capturing the attention of the crowd, now broken up.

"The fledgling is ready to be formed!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Was it good? I would really appreciate it if you left a kudos/comment/constructive criticism to let me know how I've done as I'm really trying to get better at writing, so any tips would be awesome!  
> Also, just so you know, I'm planning on posting a chapter every two weeks or so. So far I've only got two more chapters already written so if I don't write more in time then chapters will be posted a little later than that. But, for the moment, its every two weeks.  
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Sophie xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new comer in Heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> (I think I've said this previously but I'll say it again) I've given the angels physical forms and also there is a concept of time in heaven. I know there would be neither in canon, but I'm trying to get better at writing so I've made it a little easier for myself. I'm quite proud of this chapter, so I really hope you enjoy :D

For a second, there was no movement. The angels gaped at Raphael, too taken aback to move straight away. It was simply unheard of for an angel to go from the first to last stages of creation in such a short period, a normal transition taking at least a year. Gabriel raised his eyebrows and looked at Lucifer to gauge his reaction. He was staring at Raphael, wide eyed, the look of disbelief etched on his normally passive face.

"NOW!" Raphael roared, frustrated at the lack of movement. The volume of her shout and flourish of her flame-like wings were enough to jolt the crowd into action and they rushed to make a large circle, passionately discussing the impossible turn of events.

Gabriel stood up slowly to go join the circle, faint flutterings of excitement fizzing in his stomach despite the fact he would most likely have nothing to do with the new arrival. He barely noticed the circle part as he joined it or the fact Lucifer had followed him, his disdain for anything traditional having vanished. His thoughts were occupied with the abnormality of this new wonder.

_Why is Dad so keen to create the fledgling? What colour will their wings be? What will they be like? Who will be their Guardian?_

Questions ravaged Gabriel's head, rampaging through his skull and taking any other thoughts and worries from him. He could already hear angels making bets on what colour the new fledglings wings would be. Some thought white like Michael, hoping for another strong, powerful angel to help keep things in order. Others thought red like Lucifer, hoping for someone passionate and determined. Other colours were also suggested after other gifted, useful angels.

Gabriel smiled sadly to himself as the conversations and betting continued, disappointed at how no one seemed to mention his name. The flame of excitement in his stomach slowly died as he remembered how useless and unimportant he was. He realised that he would never get to know the new angel, never talk to it or laugh with it. Why would he? The fledgling would soon come to know what a pathetic excuse for an archangel he was and quickly look up to someone strong and confident, like Michael and Lucifer. It's better to be a fighter than be weak and silent, he thought glumly.

Suddenly, all the voices cut off and an eerie silence consumed heaven. Hundreds of heads turned to something behind Gabriel with looks of awe painted on their faces. He turned round to see Michael emerging from the birthing chamber, hunched over, wings curled. He trod towards the gigantic circle, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. Gabriel realised he had something cupped in his hands and clutched to his chest.

He stepped aside to let Michael into the circle, craning his neck to get a better look. Michael continued at his slow pace until he came to the centre of the circle. There, he halted and gently lowered whatever he had cupped in his hands to the ground with a tenderness Gabriel hadn't seen in a long, long time. Agonisingly, Michael took away his hands to reveal a ball of energy, met with loud gasps of wonder. Even Gabriel's jaw dropped. Although he'd seen the forming of an angel hundreds of times before, he could never overcome the awe he felt at the sight of such beauty.

It was a sphere of swirling colours, constantly moving and evolving from one shade to the next. Red turned to pink which turned to purple that turned to blue, the colours of the universe merging in a tiny ball of mesmerising chaos. It was a concoction of light and shade, vibrancy and darkness, intensity and calm; both profound and vivid yet placid and harmonious, unreadable and mysterious to it's bewitched audience. The sphere's swirling depths reminding Gabriel of all those years ago, when he'd dreamt of endless possibilities, surrounded by his three older siblings. A euphoric wave of hope and joy overcame him and he found himself beaming with happiness, silently thanking father for his gift.

He tore his gaze away from future fledgling to peer around at his mesmerised siblings. All were enraptured with the spiralling orb, enchanted by its hypnotic lure. It was as if they were getting a rare glimpse of God and his ancient, omniscient power, and of his ability to make something so beautiful out of thin air.

Movement from the sphere attracted his attention once more. It was gradually inflating, slowly growing bigger and bigger until it had expanded from the size of a fist to the length of his arm. Gabriel was once again struck by the speed in which the fledgling was forming. Normally, it would take weeks for the orb to grow to an adequate size, yet it had barely been a few seconds before the orb had inflated enough to start the final stages of transformation.

Evidently, Lucifer thought the same as he nudged Gabriel gently.

"Dad must _really_ want a new angel,” he whispered through the side of his mouth.

"Tell me about it. I'm beginning to feel jealous," Gabriel replied, earning him a pointed glare from Michael for talking. He smiled pleasantly at the elder archangel, who rolled his eyes and faced back to the front in time to see the body of the new angel become more distinct.

The once perfectly round, swirling ball of energy had now moulded itself into the beginnings of a head, arms, legs and wings, as well as other body parts causing Gabriel to whistle loudly.

"Looks like it's a boy!" he whispered to Lucifer, waggling his eyebrows and winking at Michael. Lucifer snorted as Michael's scowl became more pronounced.

The new changes now allowed Gabriel to see it as an angel and brother, not just another of God's creations. He smiled softly as the fledglings features became more and more distinct, wondering what the new arrival would be like, forgetting that he would never know.

As customary, the kaleidoscope of colours that had been spiralling round fledglings body began to dull everywhere except the wings, where they were as vibrant as ever. The angels looked on with bated breath as the body of the young angel became a pale pink and its features began to sharpen even more.

Gabriel could now see a small crop of dark hair topping the fledglings head, along with stubby little fingers and thickly lashed, closed eyes. Gasps of delight and amazement filled the Guaanu as the young angel became fully formed, save for the wings, which were still evolving from colour to colour and emitting a soft, ethereal glow. Mutterings began again amongst the angels as they debated on what the final wing colour would be.

The colour of an angels wings held great importance in Heaven, although it had no correlation to personality or gifts. At least, in Gabriel's opinion it didn't. He couldn't give a flying feather if someone's wings were blue, red or rainbow, but it made all the difference in his younger sibling's minds. He remembered when one of the younger fledglings, Balthazar, was formed, sporting a pair of bright, purple wings. He could still recall the bitter fights for guardianship that followed.

Though Gabriel had to admit, he was pretty cute.. Not as adorable as him, of course, but cute none the less.

"I think their wings are about to decided!" came a shout from the crowd, followed by noises of agreement. Gabriel peered closer and found the shout had been right. The speed in which the wings were changing colour seemed to be slowing down dramatically.

"Finally.." muttered Lucifer with a bored expression. Gabriel snickered in response.

"What?" Lucifer asked sharply, noticing Gabriel's grin, "I just want it over and done with."

"Sure you do. Because you totally weren't gawping before."

"No I wasn't!" he spluttered in outrage, only adding to Gabriel's amusement.

"Whatever," he huffed grumpily while his younger brother sniggered to himself.

Gabriel turned back to the fledgling whos wings seemed to settle on a flaming orange, much to the crowds delight.

"Like Raphael!"

"It means loyalty!"

"Tradition!"

Gabriel rolled his eyes as he watched Raphael smiling smugly, chest puffed out, as she was swamped with compliments and congratulations. God wanted more angels like her, according to her younger siblings, who had now broken the circle and flocked around Raphael instead. Already, Gabriel saw angels getting ready to put themselves forward for guardianship, wanting a fledgling with wings similar to the mighty archangel. He sensed Lucifer scoff and move away beside him, obviously displeased with the outcome. Gabriel was just about to call it a day himself when he scrutinised the fledgling once more and noticed something.

"Wait!" he yelled above the buzz of the crowd, casting them into silence. "Its wings are still changing!"

Flaming orange had now switched to a rosy pink, capturing the attention of the angels. Gabriel chuckled to himself as his younger siblings rushed away from Raphael to circle around the fledgling again, leaving her angry and disgruntled.

"Pink!"

"For compassion!"

"Wait, it's changing again!"

"Purple!"

"Like Balthazar!"

"For optimism!"

"I wish it'd make its mind up,” sounded Lucifer's voice from behind. Gabriel turned around and shouted above the crowds cries.

"I thought you'd left."

Lucifer shot him a withered scowl before returning his attention back to the young angel. Gabriel smirked before doing the same, the atmosphere making him feel giddy and excited. The circle around the fledgling was getting tighter and tighter. Gabriel heard Michael shouting for order, but was being ignored in the rush of excitement and anticipation. Never had the forming of an angel been so quick, nor so unpredictable.

"Yellow!"

"For positivity!"

"No, they’re green!"

"For determination!"

In the passion of the moment, angels began moving nearer and nearer to the fledgling, trying to get a better look, causing the circle to condense even more. Realising he would soon lose his view of the young angel, Gabriel dived forward into the last remaining gap.

Only when he got pushed and shoved by his fellow siblings did he realise no one was bowing or avoiding or darting away from contact with him, terrified of his power and wrath. For the first time in years, Gabriel felt like a normal angel, just the same as everyone else. Smiling to himself, he powered forward, determined to keep his gaze on the fledgling.

"Light blue!"

"For innocence!"

"No, it's for purity!"

"Shut up, Zachariah, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Everyone be quiet, they're changing again!"

Suddenly, everyone's voices hushed to muttering and the shoving stilted slightly. Gabriel straightened up, attempting to get a better view and found the fledgling's wings were indeed changing again, the light blue getting gradually darker.

As the shade changed, the atmosphere changed too. Stillness replaced the pushing and shoving, a hush that seemed to stretch throughout Heaven, stilting the very energy of the place. Silence reigned where shouts and cries were once heard and everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

In that moment, the eyes of every angel was glued to the tiny waves of feathers protruding from the fledgling's back. At first, Gabriel thought it's wings were going to stay a deep, attractive shade of blue, echoing the fathomless depths of the ocean.

But they didn't stay like that. The wings continued to get darker... And darker... And darker... Until...

Loud gasps filled the air as the angels looked on in horror, all of them frozen in shock. After a few seconds, they regained movement and, in the same motion, rushed from the fledgling as if it were poisoned. The only entities that stood, unmoving, were the archangels, holding firm as their siblings ran behind them, blind in their terror.

Gabriel couldn't tear his eyes from the fledgling, his mouth dry as he watched its wings finally stop changing and the ethereal glow diminish. His body was rigid with surprise, still unbelieving despite the evidence so plainly displayed in front of him. At a loss of what to do, he looked to the side at his brothers and sister, who looked just as shocked and confused as he felt. Widening his gaze, he saw his younger siblings had rushed behind Michael, Raphael and Lucifer, all standing in a line. They looked on from there, too scared to be close but too captivated to flee.

Unbeknownst to his siblings reactions, the tiny fledgling opened his eyes to reveal clear, crystal blue orbs, sharply contrasting with the darkness of his wings.

Wings as black as a midnight sky on a cloudless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really would appreciate some sort of indication of your opinion. Pretty please leave a kudos or comment to let me know how I've done, and I'm always open to constructive criticism. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have an amazing day!  
> Sophie xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's the next installment. I really hope you like it because I put quite a lot of effort into it hehe!  
> Also, thank you so much to my amazing beta bushdana, you've really helped me <3  
> So, I really hope you enjoy!  
> Sophie xx

Heaven was motionless. Silence hung like a disease, thick and heavy, mingled with fear and disgust.

It was not often Gabriel judged on an angel’s wing colour, but even he was at a stand-still. Black wings were unheard of, un-thought of, _unimaginable_. Everyone stared, frozen in position, unsure of what to do or say. That was until Michael's voice rang through the hushed atmosphere, causing the angels to jump in unison.

"Oh father, answer our prayers, what is this abomination?" he asked the open sky above him. The silence gave no reply, save for the gentle gurgling from the black-winged disgrace in the middle.

Gabriel looked to his brothers and sisters, regarding their expressions of revulsion with a strange sense of indignation. He shook the feeling off, confused by the sudden wave of protectiveness, and turned back to the young one.

He now seemed to be testing his wings. Every tentative stretch earning a hiss of disgust and jolt of fear from the repulsed crowd.

"It's an atrocity," came a whisper from the crowd, which was quickly met with murmurings of agreement.

"You are correct, brother," Michael replied, stepping into the circle, but still keeping his distance. Gabriel narrowed his eyes, feeling the flutter of irritation rise once more.

"Black wings," Michael boomed, voice growing louder, "can only mean one thing; this fledgling has a darkness inside it."

Hums of approval vibrated around the Guannu, everyone but Gabriel showing signs of agreement. Instead, his wings bristled with anger as he listened to Michael's words, infuriated by the lack of tolerance towards the newly formed angel. Rather than voicing his annoyance, he crossed his arms, trying to restrain himself while still appearing casual in the eyes of his siblings.

"Brother," came a voice behind him, causing him to start. He turned around to find Michael regarding him with wary expression. "Step back from this... monstrosity, Gabriel. Before it hurts you."

Gabriel looked around to find he, out of all his siblings, was the closest to the "monstrosity" in the middle. Even Michael was a fair distance away, scared despite his supposed almighty power.

He raised an eyebrow and forced a smirk before answering.

"Your concern touches me, Mikey, but I'm good here. What's the worst he's going to do?"

Fearful whispers travelled through the crowd as Michael's wary expression was replaced with a cutting glare. He opened his mouth to repeat the order but was beaten to it by Lucifer.

"Don't be an idiot, little brother. Move away."

Gabriel head snapped to Lucifer, who stood just behind Michael and agreeing with him for the first in a millenia. He was looking at him with a stoic expression, scarily similar to Michael. Shock and confusion only showed on Gabriel's face for a split second before it molded back to a smirk.

"Don't tell me you're scared too!"

He then turned to the wall of Angels hiding behind the line of Archangels, unsure of what he was going to say but knowing he needed to say _something_.

"C'mon guys, he's just a fledgl-"

"It has _black wings_! It is evil!" Michael spoke over him, raising his voice.

"So what? Your wings are white, doesn't mean you're a freaking cloud!" Gabriel fired back, struggling to keep his cool at Michael's ridiculous conclusions.

"But black is darkness!" came a shout from the crowd.

"It's here to destroy us all!" screeched Raphael, sending the crowd into more of a panicked state.

"Why in dad’s name would it mean that?" Gabriel asked, but in vain, as his logic was drowned out by the cries and screeches of his terrified siblings. Michael lifted his hands for silence but was ignored in the wave of terror being projected from the younger angels. Gabriel looked at the chaos in disbelief, unwilling to believe his family could be so narrow-minded towards anything, let alone their own family.

"QUIET!" roared Lucifer, quickly casting heaven into surprised silence. He paused for a few moments before speaking again in a steady, measured tone.

"The fledgling's wings are obviously a warning from father. I vote we dispose of it before it causes more damage."

Heaven exploded into more wails of terror and agreement at Lucifer's short speech while Michael nodded to him with approval and Gabriel stared at him, aghast.

"'Warning from Father'?" Gabriel mimicked back, raising his arms in enraged exasperation. "Since when have you given a crap what Dad wants?"

"I’ve always cared about what our father wants," Lucifer replied coldly, with a glint in his eye that sent ice-cold shivers through his wings. As Gabriel stared into Lucifer's dead eyes, it was as if his sarcastic, deadpan older brother was no longer there, replaced by something callous and cruel.

Then the moment passed and the glint in Lucifer's eyes vanished, his facial expression switching back to an arrogant smirk. Gabriel breathed in harshly and shook his head, trying to regain his concentration. _Surely he'd imagined it?_

"Well it's decided then," Michael said to the crowd of angels, his back to Gabriel and his radiant, white wings blocking him from view. "We shall destroy the threat."

The declaration was met with cheers from the crowd and a splutter of disbelief from Gabriel.

"What?" he croaked, turning the attention his siblings towards him. "Why would you all agree to this?"

He shook his head in disgust, unable to form words. Lucifer chuckled humourlessly.

"Why are you set on protecting it?"

Gabriel opened his mouth but found he couldn't answer. Why was he so passionate about the fledgling? It wasn't his job to protect it, that was down to one of his younger siblings. But as he looked around, he saw that there was no guardian stepping forwards to take responsibility for the young one. Only he stood alone between the angels of Heaven and the ‘abomination’.

"Exactly!" Michael sneered at he pushed past him, breaking the invisible barrier Gabriel had created. He watched, powerless, as Michael prowled towards the fledgling. The rest of the angel's followed behind him, still keeping a slight distance from the new arrival.

As Michael drew near to the fledgling, a blade slid from the sleeve of the robe and dropped into his experienced hand. He whirled the blade in between his fingers, earning the approval of the crowd. Gabriel was starting to feel sick.

Standing above the fledgling, Michael lifted his head upwards, gazing up at the sky.

"Oh Mighty Father, we slay this abomination in your name so it may never tear down the values on which Heaven stands."

He then raised the glinting blade up in the air, earning gasps apprehension from his younger siblings. Everyone's focus was on the blade, ready to come crashing down and end a life that had barely begun.

Everyone except for Gabriel, whose gaze was fixed on the tiny, fragile body of the his younger brother. Time seemed to stop as he watched the fledgling look upwards with clear, sapphire eyes, echoing the fathomless ocean depths of Earth. He saw innocence and youth in the fledgling's features, as well a calmness and wisdom belonging to an angel older than he.

Then the blade that had been hovering over the fledgling began to fall and Gabriel knew what he had to do.

He half ran, half pushed his way through the air with his gigantic golden wings, heading towards Michael and the rapidly falling blade. Within a second he'd reached the fledgling, pushing Michael away with one wing while scooping the fledgling up with another. Gripping the fledgling tightly to his chest, his blade slid smoothly out his sleeve and into his hand, where he span it expertly between his fingers. Then in one fluid motion, he turned towards the crowd of appalled angels and held the knife up protectively while raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"YOU'RE A DISGRACE!" screeched an outraged Michael as he stumbled while getting up from his sprawled position on the floor. Once upright, he charged at Gabriel, only stopped by the outstretched blade, pointing directly at him.

"Gabriel," Lucifer growled, "what do you think you're doing?"

Gabriel looked around at the shocked, disgusted faces of the crowd staring back at him. He fidgeted slightly under their gaze and adjusted his hold on the blade, wings twitching nervously behind him.

"What does it look like, Luci?" he replied mockingly, voice tremoring slightly.

"It looks like you're making a bloody fool of yourself!" spat Raphael from behind Michael, her orange wings fluttering angrily behind her.

"I wanted to see what it felt like to be you for a few minutes," Gabriel smirked while cradling the fledgling closer to his chest. Maybe if he distracted them for long enough he could-

"Brother, listen to me," Lucifer said softly, a sympathetic expression replacing the menacing one from before. "I know you care for the abomin-little one, but it's a dangerous. I say you just hand it over, and we all forget this ever happened."

He offered Gabriel a small smile, raising his hands openly.

"For the greater good."

Gabriel smirked and opened his mouth to reply when he felt a sharp tug. Wincing, he looked down and saw a few of his feathers clutched in the chubby fist of the fledgling. Smiling, he watched the little angel inspect the golden feathers with bright, inquisitive orbs opened wide with curiosity.

"See!" Raphael screeched. "It's trying to pull his wings out!"

The crowd exploded once more at Raphael's declaration while Gabriel ignored them, content with observing the young fledgling as he compared his tiny, black wings to Gabriel's gigantic, sunshine feathers. 

"Okay, that's enough now, Gabriel," Michael snarled, holding out his palm. "Hand it over,"

"No." 

Instead, he gently plucked one of his feathers from the young one's grip and began tickling his cheek with it, earning him a sweet gurgle of laughter.

"Gabriel, I swear to Father-"

"Blasphemy!" Gabriel gasped dramatically, drawing another giggle from the fledgling.

"If you don't hand it over right now I'll-"

"You'll what? Kill me? I'd like to see you try," Gabriel cut in with a smirk, gaze still fixed on the fledgling, who was now reaching up to Gabriel's face and gripping his nose with tiny fingers.

Michael let out a wordless roar and charged at Gabriel, angel blade in hand and an uncontrollable fury painted on his snarling face. The younger archangel saw the movement in the corner of his eye and instinctively pulled the young one to his chest with one hand while gripping his angel blade with the other, wings stretched out threateningly behind him.

Yet his efforts to protect the fledgling were unneeded. A single bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, shaking the ground with a power older than time. It threw Michael backwards over the crowd of terrified onlookers who stood there, frozen in shock and fear.

Gabriel’s wings relaxed to their normal position as a smile stretched across his face. A flame of hope he thought had been extinguished was now roaring back, ignited by the lightning. 

Father was watching. Father was protecting the fledgling. _Father cared._

All that could be heard was Michael’s pained groans and the sound of feathers rustling nervously. Gabriel watched his younger siblings as they looked at each other, waiting for someone to give orders or tell them who to follow.

Despite his anger at their intolerance and stubbornness, Gabriel couldn’t help but pity them. All their life it had been Michael they had followed, Michael who had told them what their father wanted. Now they had been given a painfully clear sign of their father’s true wishes and they went against their precious leader. 

Not wanting to give Michael a chance to explain the bolt of lightning as something else, Gabriel silently decided now was his -their- time to go. 

“So, it's been fun guys, but we best be off,” he said as his wings stretched out behind him and lifted them up into the air. 

“I’ll see you all later, ‘kay?”

The last thing he saw was Lucifer's stony face, free of all emotion, watching him as he flew away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed <3  
> Sophie xx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I really really hope you enjoy the new installment, I tried really hard with it.  
> I'll say a few things at the end about posting scheduals and stuff :)  
> Enjoy reading!  
> Sophie xx

Initially, Gabriel flew as quickly as possible. He urged his magnificent golden appendages to move quicker and quicker, ignoring the burn he felt in the middle of his shoulders where his wings protruded from his body. His only thought was to get away from his family who, only a few moments ago, were wishing the death of the innocent fledgling currently clutched to his chest.

The fledgling had been watching the six waves of golden feathers move in unison, flashing through the air in a dance of synchronisation and grace. The sunlight reflecting off the feathers as they moved seemed to interest the little one, who often tried to stretch out a chubby hand to stroke and feel them. At one point, he even tried to imitate Gabriel by stretching out his own wings, throwing himself precariously of balance and giving Gabriel a few seconds of heart-stopping fright.

However, after putting safe distance between the more crowded side of Heaven, Gabriel began to relax. His fast-paced wing beats became slow and leisurely, the repetitive swoops soon sending the young one to sleep, something which the archangel was glad for.

He looked down at the little one’s sleeping face, so calm and innocent, unbeknownst to the fate he had just escaped. It was then the enormity of what had just happened hit Gabriel in the stomach, leaving him feeling slightly breathless and lightheaded. His wings began to falter as he became distracted by thoughts of what could have been and what the future held. He quickly veered downwards, landing on one Heaven’s many cobbled paths with a small bump. 

Gabriel fought for breath, the panic and exertion of flying taking its toll. He looked up at the Heaven’s sky, always perfectly blue and cloudless, and wished that he was down on Earth, watching the process of life evolving without a worry or care in the world. He ached to be walking the twisted mountains, watching volcanoes exploding, get lost in the imperfections of the tiny planet. 

At least Earth was honest about its flaws. In fact, they made the place endlessly beautiful. Here, Heaven’s faults made the fakeness and cruelty obvious, illuminating its ugliness for all to see. 

Well, not all. He seemed to be the only one aware of Heaven’s foulness, its repugnant stink infecting what was once a peaceful, enchanting place.

A small gurgle broke him out of his panicked thoughts. He looked down at the tiny fledgling and a smile appeared on his face without permission. Large, cobalt eyes looked back up at him with an intensity belonging to a being much older than the vulnerable, delicate infant gripping him weakly with chubby fingers.

“Hey there, buddy,” Gabriel breathed gently, hoisting the fledgling further up his body. He gently stroked the patch of black hair sprouting from his head with a finger carefully. 

Was he the infant’s guardian now? How was he supposed to look after him? He had never been trained for this.

Normally, it was an angel’s guardian that taught them the art of being a guardian. They were gradually told how to look after fledglings, what they needed, what stages they went through, what they should avoid, the rules and regulations…

Having been created an archangel, Gabriel had no idea about any of that. He had never been prepared to be a guardian, expected to be experienced at taking charge and protecting Heaven.

He couldn’t even do what he was _created_ to do. How in dad’s name was he supposed to figure out guardianship?

Gradually, the pair of sapphire eyes began to flutter close and the young ones head began to nod, eventually resting in the crook of Gabriel’s neck. He stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying the warmth that spread from the little one’s head. A wave of protectiveness overcame him once more and, as he gripped the fledgling tighter, a rod of determination planted itself in his gut.

Finally, after collecting his thoughts, he decided the best place for him and the fledgling was his nest where he could make plan what to do next. 

Gabriel’s nest was originally in the centre of Heaven, as close to his family as he could get. However, as the years went on and he realised life wasn't as perfect as Heaven would have him believe, he rebuilt the nest far away, preferring a life of solitude and quiet to confrontation.

He tightened the arm around the fledgling’s delicate, sleeping body and held him close as he pushed himself into the air once more, golden wings working furiously to get to a place of safety for the fledgling... And himself.

**|/#~#\|**

Gabriel’s nest was a sacred place. Well, to him, at least.

He’d ‘borrowed’ the largest tree he could find from earth and flew it all the way back to Heaven. It was an awe inspiring tower of coarse, dark wood, decorated with thick vines and sprinkles of leaves. He’d made sure to keep the changing colours of the seasons, using his grace to change the leaves from green to a rusty orange as summer turned to autumn. 

“Here we are, buddy,” Gabriel whispered, shaking the sleeping fledgling gently. 

He landed on the most solid looking branch with a small ‘thump’ as two bright, blue orbs blinked open and regarded their surroundings with curiosity. 

Taking a few moments to rest his wings, he watched the little one look around in wonder. The fledgling seemed particularly captivated by the beetle scurrying up and down the tree trunk having been disturbed by Gabriel’s landing. 

“Loki,” the archangel said, beaming at the little beetle who stilled at the call of his name. “This is…” 

He trailed off, frowning as he looked down at the fledgling who was currently trying to reach out for Loki, seemingly unconcerned about his lack of name.

“We need to think of a name,” he said to no one in particular. He watched the tiny hand stretch out towards Loki and a dazed grin appeared on the young fledglings chubby face. The little one seemed enamoured with the beetle, who was now slowly making his way towards the new arrival. Gabriel sighed.

“Sorry, guys. This one’s too small for a proper meeting. Maybe when he’s grown up a bit.” 

He stepped carefully over Loki towards the hole leading to the nest, missing the way the beetle’s antennae drooped sadly. 

He pushed back the long vines covering the nest entrance. They swung slightly in the artificial breeze that Gabriel had created trying to imitate Earth but it never felt the same.

“Home sweet home.”

The fledglings eyes, which had been glued to Loki, were now widening, taking in the new location with awe. 

Warm, brown wood made up the walls, rings of lighter Browns indicating the many years the tree had witnessed. The walls were decorated with pale pink shells and bright white fossils. Long leaves, vines and seaweed were weaved together to make a rug that was surprisingly soft and spongy to step on. The rug’s bright colours of orange and green contrasted with dark, dull piece of volcanic rock that had been carved in a circular fashion to fit the hollowed out tree perfectly. Wooden bowls of sea water were scattered around the nest, home to all kinds of weird and wonderful crustaceans Gabriel had found while exploring the vast oceans of Earth. 

The archangels shoulders sagged with relief. Finally feeling safe, Gabriel placed the little one down gently, careful not to touch his delicate black feathers. The fledgling had no such worries, hitting the archangel in the face with his wings as he dived out his arms. 

“Hey!” Gabriel exclaimed, rubbing the area where the fledgling made contact, “I save you and this is the thanks I get?”

The little one ignored him, too busy inspecting one of the pieces of seaweed that had been woven into the rug. 

Running a hand through his golden hair, Gabriel finally let himself look away from the fledgling. There was no way the others would follow them here… Was there? 

He edged over to a small hole he’d carved into the nest, peering out into Heaven’s lonely landscape. After a few moments he sighed and moved away, beginning to pace around his nest nervously.

What was he going to do now? 

A soft babbling sounded from the other side of the room. Gabriel’s head snapped towards it, expecting the little one to be in some kind of terrible danger. Instead he was lying on his stomach, face squashed into the floor, dozing lightly. He was dribbling slightly and had a small, chubby hand gripping the rug he was currently snuggling into. 

Gabriel let out a shaky breath and huffed a humorless laugh, dragging a tired hand across his face.

He didn't even know where the fledgling was supposed to sleep, or for how long, or for what reason. It had been so long since he’d been a fledgling. He couldn't even remember what sleeping was like. The closest a grown angel could get to sleep was a deep, peaceful state of relaxation.

God knows how many years had passed since Gabriel could describe himself as ‘relaxed’ and the sleeping young one, however adorable and innocent he may be, was not helping. 

There was no way he could ask anyone else. No one would be willing to help the failed archangel and his abomination. 

An idea was niggling at the back of Gabriel’s brain, alerting him to a possibility. There could be someone who might be willing to help.

But would she want to? Or would the hysteria have infected her too? Would asking do more harm than good?

He stole a glance at the fledgling who was now sucking lightly on his tiny thumb, eyes shut tight. It reminded him off when he had first been created, lying there by himself, so unaware of the foreboding future.

_Well, it's worth a try._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, was it good? Please leave a kudos/comment, I'd love to know what you think and what your opinion is!  
> As to posting times, I might not be able to keep up with the posting every two weeks thing. I have lots of stuff happening like college work and other projects so I have less time for writing. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more writing done when I'm finally off for the Christmas hols :) Just know that will definetly keep writing, it just might take a lil longer. I hope you don't mind!  
> Well, with all that said, I hope you enjoyed and have a happy christmas if you celebrate it!  
> Sophie xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!  
> I'm so so sorry about the long wait, I realise it was 4 weeks instead of 2 like I said... All I can do is apologise, I have tonnes of college work and my time table has changed so i finish later every day, meaning I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home and don't feel like writing.. I'll talk more about scheduling chapters at the end but yeah, sorry!!  
> With that out the way, I hope you enjoy!! I would just like to thank my lovely beta once more bushdana, you've helped me so much <33  
> Happy reading :)  
> Sophie xx

_Gabriel’s laugh chimed through the air as he flew above Heaven’s bustling streets, twisting and somersaulting all the while. Some angels looked up as they heard the archangel’s fledgling-like giggling, smiling to themselves as they watched him do another flip. Others looked on in awe, staring as the sunlight reflected off his golden wings, raining flecks of light on their enthralled faces._

_The archangel took pleasure in their fascination, enjoying the feeling of being great and majestic, a grand demonstration of power and splendor. He ducked and dived in between Heaven’s uniform, cubic buildings, loving the way their plain, white bricks seemed to glow, casting more light on his shining feathers._

_Looking around, the feeling of wonder and revere rose inside him, widening the grin that was already etched on his face._

_Heaven was just so.. Perfect. There was no other way to describe it. It’s linear streets, glimmering buildings and harmonious atmosphere made it paradise. Truly one of his father greatest masterpieces. He batted the small, niggling feeling of loneliness and betrayal at the thought of his father._

_Dad will have his reasons for leaving, he reasoned with himself. Give him time._

_Gabriel continued to fly, the heavily populated part of Heaven becoming smaller and smaller, a miniscule dot on the horizon. He glided steadily, allowing the wind to guide his path, content in whichever direction it chose to take him._

_Looking down, he found himself hypnotised by the way the ground seemed to move beneath him. It was like a gigantic river, flowing in the direction he’d just came, steadily raging faster as he urged his wings to beat quicker._

_It was then that he heard it. A soft, sniffling noise._

_At first, he put it down to the rustle of his feathers as they were tossed around in the breeze. Or, perhaps, he had just imagined it. Maybe it had just been the wind in his ears as he soared by, distorting his hearing._

_Then the sniffling was replaced with the tender, aching sound of sobbing, forcing Gabriel to conclude he had not imagined it. A few small lines appeared between his eyebrows as he frowned._

_One of his siblings were in pain and it was his duty - as an archangel, a brother, the son of his father - to help them._

_He slowed the beat of his magnificent wings until he eventually came to a stop, hovering in the air as he tried to locate to source of the sobbing. Closing his eyes, he focused entirely on what he could hear._

_The sound of the wind as it breezed passed leisurely. The distant hum of his brothers and sibling as they went along with their went along with their day to day business._

_Ah! There it was._

_Gabriel turned mid air, eyes still closed, and dived in the direction of the distressed weeping. He followed it, every so often opening his sparkling amber eyes to make sure he hadn’t passed the source of the noise. Where were they?_

_Then, out the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of pale pink for a split second before it disappeared behind another one of Heaven’s white, square buildings. Smiling to himself in victory, he followed the pink, flying above the building to gain a wider view. He saw the pink again and inhaled in surprise at what he saw._

_It was a fledgling with fiery red hair and a small, slight stature. The wings protruding from her back were small and tinged with a beautiful, pastel pink that seemed to suit her perfectly. Tears were streaming down her reddened face as she raced through the collection of tiny paths that ran between Heaven’s many buildings. Gabriel’s heart cracked as she blundered into yet another wall, her hysteria growing with every wrong turn._

_He heard Michael’s voice in his head, a memory from many years ago._

_“We were not meant to interact with fledglings, little brother. We were born to lead, not wipe the snotty noses of whining infants.”_

_But how could he leave her? Surely it was not against the rules if he were to just help?_

_“Hiya,” he called softly, descending slowly from the sky. The fledgling visibly started, her eyes wide and mouth open in a wordless cry for help. Gabriel lifted his hands, palms outstretched in an open and calming gesture._

_“Woah there, I’m not gonna hurt you,” he soothed, using his best ‘reassuring’ voice._

_For a few moments she said nothing, just stared at him through bloodshot, thunderous grey eyes. Then her bottom lip started to tremble and she broke into a fresh wave of tears. Before he could react, she ran at him, latched her arms around his waist and sobbed into his stomach._

_Gabriel froze, his inexperience with fledglings, particularly crying ones, rendering him apprehensive and agitated. Hesitantly, he lowered his body and wrapped his arms around her shaking body, patting her uneasily on the back._

_“Shhhhhhh, you're okay,” he mumbled, stroking her hair gently with his thumb, “You’re okay, sweetheart.”_

_Eventually, after lots of soothing words and awkward back rubbing, she let go, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. She was still sniffling slightly._

_“Sorry, s-sir,” she said in a small voice, her bottom lip wobbling precariously as if she were about to start crying once more._

_Gabriel frowned, looking at the small fledgling who now seemed more scared of him than her situation._

_“You can call me Gabriel, pink,” he said while crouching down to her level. He rested his large golden wings on the floor in an attempt to look less intimidating. “Why are you apologising? You haven’t done anything wrong.”_

_“I-I shouldn't b-be troubling an archangel with-”_

_“What?” Gabriel interrupted more harshly than he meant to, instantly regretting it as the little fledgling flinched and looked down ashamedly. Her small wings were hanging down in a submissive fashion, their pale pink seeming to dull as her fear grew._

_“I-I’m s-so sorry-”_

_“No, it's me who needs to apologise, I shouldn't have raised my voice,” he said softly, a small twinkle of kindness in his eyes. The twinkle dampened slightly as he saw the little one was trembling._

_“What's your name, sweetheart?”_

_Her fierce grey eyes widened as she looked up, and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she answered, surprised by his request._

_“Anna, my lord,”_

_“Hiya, Anna,” he said, giving her a lopsided grin and internally celebrating as she seemed to relax slightly, “I’m Gabriel.”_

_Anna bent her knees, lowered her back and cast her head downwards, small strands of red hair falling over her face. It took Gabriel a moment to realize she was curtsying._

_“Hey, Anna, no,” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She flinched and he quickly retracted his touch, not wanting to distress the fledgling any more._

_“I’m not going to hurt you and you certainly don't need to curtsy,” he said softly before adding, “It makes me feel like Michael.”_

_He shivered dramatically while pulling a horrified face and, to his delight, Anna’s lips curved into an almost-smile._

_“So, what are you doing, running around like dad on creation day?”_

_He inwardly kicked himself as Anna’s smile wilted and her head bowed remorsefully. He was just about to apologise when she began stuttering out her reply._

_“I-I wanted to ex-explore but N-N-”_

_“-Naomi?”_

_The little fledgling nodded in reply, a few tears leaking from the corners of her eyes._

_“S-she’s my guardian and she s-said I’m n-not allowed to g-go anywhere without her b-but I ignored her and n-now I’m l-lost.”_

_Moisture dripped from her eyes more rapidly as she mistook Gabriel’s sympathetic expression for a judging one._

_“I-I didn’t m-mean to, I j-just w-wanted to s-see what the r-rest of H-Heaven was like,”_

_“Sweetheart, I’m not angry, please don’t cry-”_

_“Don’t tell her!” she interrupted, her fierce grey eyes widened with terror, “P-please don’t tell her, she’ll p-punish me.”_

_Gabriel couldn’t hold back anymore, pulling her tiny body to him. He mumbled comforting words, chin resting on top of her head, stray hairs tickling his lips._

_“Does she know you’re gone?” he said after a while, pulling her away so he could see her face clearly. She frowned with confusion, biting her bottom lip to keep it from wobbling. Hesitantly, she shook her head._

_“Perfect,” he smirked before straightening up and offering his hands to her, “let’s go for a fly.”_

_After a few moments of hesitation Anna took his hand, a hopeful glint appeared in her eyes and her cheeks tinged a rosy pink to match her wings._

_There was a few minutes of awkward shuffling before Gabriel realized the best way to carry the fledgling was on his back, her arms gripped around his chest and legs digging into his waist._

_“Ready?” he asked the little fledgling, whose face was buried in his shoulder. She shook her head, tiny fingers latched onto the golden edges of his robe, wings pressed flat to her back._

_“I’ve never flown before,” she admitted in a trembling voice._

_Gabriel gave a sympathetic grimace, remembering his first time flying. He’d been the last of the archangels to learn and father had been getting angry. He could still remember the way he had shouted, the way he’d called him names and shamed him in an attempt to jolt his wings into action. Gabriel couldn't really blame him. How could they have beaten the darkness with an archangel who couldn't even fly?_

_“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said, his wings rising like a gigantic golden wave, “I’m a professional.”_

_With that he brought his wings down with a enormous swoop, pushing them into the air and whipping the wind around them into a tiny tornado. He felt the little one whimper into his shoulder and planted a quick kiss on her head._

_“Don’t worry, we’re nearly there.”_

_He urged his wings to move quicker, his golden feathers looking like lightening in the air. He was concentrating so hard he failed to notice Anna’s head peek out from his shoulder, her mouth gaping with awe as her red hair whipped around her._

_Soon, they were over some of Heaven’s busiest streets once more. Angels looked up and rolled their eyes as they saw a streak of gold, unable to spot the fledgling as the archangel darted past._

_“There! That’s my nest!” Anna yelled above the wind, brave enough to extend her arm and point for a few seconds. Gabriel hummed in reply when he saw the box-like nest Anna had been pointing at, slowing the beat of his wings until his feet met the ground. He slanted all three of his left wings, creating a slide for the fledgling to slip down, squealing as she went. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask if she would like another go when he heard a yell from within Anna’s nest._

_“Anna! Anna, where are you?” screeched the voice, making Gabriel’s mind up for him._

_“I gotta go now, Ann-” he started, cut off as the little one ran forward, tackling him in a hug. The archangel reached down and hugged her back swiftly, aware of the shouting that was getting ever closer._

_“Thank you,” she whispered. He gave her a crooked grin and ruffled her hair in reply in reply before extending his wings high into the air, casting the wide-eyed fledgling in gold-tinged light._

_“I’ll be seeing you round, pink.”_

_He only just managed to fly onto the roof of a neighbouring building as the door of Anna’s nest was flung open._

_“Listen here, if you don’t come out immediately I will be forced to-Oh,” said Naomi, stopping in her tracks as she saw the young one._

_“Hello, Naomi,” Anna mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other. Naomi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and Gabriel held his breath._

_Fortunately, she didn't seem to be in the mood for questioning, grabbing Anna’s wrist and yanking her along behind her as she strode back to her nest._

_“Come along, Anna. You have your studies and you’ve wasted enough time already.”_

_Anna followed her, limbs falling limp as she was dragged back towards the nest. Just before she was pulled through the door she turned round, fierce grey eyes meeting Gabriel’s gentle golden ones. A small, soft smile lit up her face, igniting a spark of warmth in the archangel’s chest. He had just enough time to wink and wave his goodbye before she was pulled from view, leaving him with a strange sensation of... loneliness._

**|/#~#\|**

It was that small, soft smile Gabriel hung on to as he readied himself for a flight back to Heaven’s centre. 

_...She would help, wouldn’t she?_

He pushed away his doubts, attempting to tuck a wriggling fledgling into his robe. The little one had been crying since he woke up and his high-pitch wailing was beginning to grate on the archangel.

She would help. She _has_ to help. Otherwise Heaven knows what would happen to him and, more importantly, his fledgling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really hope you enjoyed, especially after that long wait! Thank you for being so patient.  
> As to scheduling, I'm afraid I probably wont be able to post every two weeks like I said I would be doing. It will probably just turn into a "post when its ready" kind of situation. However, if you feel I'm taking a while and want to ask about the progress of the chapter, you can leave a comment or send a message to my tumblr (sassmycroft) and I'll reply as soon as I can (I will probably reply within a day at the very least)  
> Thank you so so much for reading and I appreciate all the comments/kudos/bookmarks I've had so far, you're absolutely amazing!!  
> Sophie xx


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again guys!  
> I'm so sorry its been ages since the last chapter! My computer broke down and I've had a tonne of work from college and its just been a mess tbh :'DD  
> Anyways, I hope the length of the chapter makes up for the length of time it took to post this hehe  
> Sophie xx  
> p.s. thanks again to my wonderful beta, Dayna <3

“Please, I’m begging you, just be quiet.”

He gazed around his nest, desperately trying to find a distraction while the fledgling bawled, his hands clenched into tiny fists. Suddenly, an idea popped into the archangels head as his eyes fell on a black dot crawling up the smooth, brown wood of his wall. 

“Hey, buddy, look who it is,” he cooed, stretching out a finger for Loki the beetle to climb on. The dreadful wails died almost instantly as Gabriel brought the beetle close to the fledgling’s face for inspection. Bright, blue eyes examined Loki and a gummy grin stretched across his face.

Sighing in relief, the archangel dipped his head and passed through the vines that swung down, covering the entrance, swaying leisurely in the breeze. He extended his six golden wings into the air and looked down at the fledgling who was transfixed with Loki, remembering the next time he had seen Anna.

**|/#~#\|**

_The anticipation was like a thick fog. It hung in the air, spreading particles of excitement and trepidation. After two thousand years of waiting, the newest member of their family was about to be fully created._

_Gabriel was watching from afar, wishing he were closer to the tightly packed ring of angel surrounding the developing fledgling. From what he could see, his father’s newest creation was at the same point he had been for the past six months; everything had formed apart from his wings, two swirling spheres of colour protruding from his back. However, Michael said today was the day and, irritatingly, he was usually right._

_Looking to his right he saw his fellow archangels perched regally on their seats. Michael sat upright, his back straight, white wings held high and proud. Lucifer was sat in a more casual position next to him, slouching yet still seeming as powerful and controlled as his older brother. Raphael tried to imitate Michael but her orange wings fell short of the magnificence her older brothers seemed to achieve effortlessly._

_Murmuring from the crowd distracted him from his siblings, drawing his attention back to the delicate little body of his soon-to-be brother. All eyes were focused on him or, more specifically, his wings. The kaleidoscope of colours inside it seemed to be slowing, its swirling mist of hues seeming to settle. Before long a deep purple had spread throughout the wings and as their glow diminished, individual feathers became defined._

_“Purple is said to represent optimism, a vital trait that will ensure this new arrival is a significant part of our family,” Michael’s voice boomed, echoing off the walls of the Guannu, “We thank you for your gift, Father. ”_

_The angels quickly repeated the prayer, turning their heads up to the sky, palms clasped together as their lips moved in silent prayer. Gabriel followed suit though only for appearances. He was coming to the realisation that no one could hear or wanted to hear. Lucifer seemed to have reached the same conclusion, slouching unmoving in his seat as he watched his siblings, a small smirk instead of prayer on his lips._

_“Now, in this happy time, we must not be distracted from our responsibilities,” Michael continued, looking solemnly between the faces in front of him. “A young, vulnerable angel has been given to us by our Father and it is up to us to protect him.”_

_He paused. Silence reigned as the angels gazed up at Michael, waiting with baited breath. The newly created fledgling still lay in the centre of the Guannu, sniffling gently, forgotten in the wake of Michael’s towering figure._

_“We need a guardian to guide and protect, to love and prepare, to take charge and mould this fledgling into a grown angel. Who would like to volunteer?”_

_Michael has barely stopped speaking before a loud voice sounded from the crowd._

_“I would be honored,” Zachariah said, puffing his chest out and holding his head high as he pushed through the crowd. He was an insignificant looking angel with thin, beige-coloured wings and an insincere smile that seemed permanently etched on his smug face._

_Gabriel felt an instant dislike, rolling his eyes at the way he held himself, an obvious attempt to imitate the eldest archangel. He barely contained a laugh as Michael looked visibly taken aback by Zachariah’s eagerness._

_“Well, very good. Very good indeed,” Michael said while pursing his lips, the purpose and strength he normally spoke with falling short of his usual grandeur, “Would anyone else like to put themselves forward?”_

_Gabriel scanned the crowd, looking for a raised hand or upturned head. Unusually, no one else seemed to want the fledgling. He saw them shift on their feet, looking at the ground, their eyes trying to avoid something._

_Looking at lonely figure at the front of the crowd, Gabriel realized that something was Zachariah. The youngest archangel clenched his jaw as he watched Zachariah glare at the angels behind him, daring anyone to speak up._

_“Featherless dick,” he hissed under his breath. Lucifer hummed in agreement._

_“Well,” Michael said, eyes darting between the faces of his younger siblings, a frown creasing his forehead, ”If no one else would like to step forward.”_

_He paused again and Gabriel chuckled as Zachariah’s eyes narrowed. Obviously it wasn't just him and Lucifer that disliked his smug, cheating demeanor._

_A long sigh escaped Michael, grimacing in what looked to be an attempt at a smile._

_“In that case, Zachariah, I name you-”_

_“Wait!” a cry came from the crowd, halting Michael mid-speech. The sound of shuffling and murmuring filled the air as the crowd parted, flashes of colourful wings appearing everywhere as angels turned around to see the source of the shouting. Gabriel sat up, craning his neck in an attempt to glimpse over the sea of confused faces._

_Eventually, it was revealed. She neared the archangels, walking steadily and gracefully, red strands of hair falling around her face and bobbing faintly with each step. Her large, fearsome grey eyes were nervous but firm, contrasting with the pale pink of her splayed wings, lighting sparks of recognition in Gabriel’s chest. A soft smile appeared on the archangel's face as his gaze fleetingly crossed hers._

_“I-” Anna started, her voice weak and strangled. Zachariah let out a huff, pursing his lips with feigned impatience. Ignoring him, she cleared her throat and continued._

_“I put myself forward. I want to become a guardian.”_

_Gabriel’s smile widened as he detected the steely note of determination in her declaration. The crowd seemed to pick up on this too, murmurs of approval vibrating through the Guannu until Michael’s hand was raised and the noise fell. A rare smile curved the eldest archangels lips as he opened his mouth to speak._

_“Well, it looks like we have a decision on our hands.”_

_“If I may, my lord,” Zachariah said, inclining his head as a smarmy smile stretched across his face, “She is barely an angel!”_

_The condescending glare he sent Anna’s way made Gabriel’s body clench with anger, flames of fury licking their way up his throat as he watched her be belittled._

_“She has no experience. How could she raise a fledgling, a future citizen of our home. I mean, she’s practically a fledgling!” Zachariah exclaimed with a snort of laughter which he quickly stifled as he was met with the unblinking stares of his siblings. After a few seconds he dipped his chin and licked his lips nervously, repeating his previous statement in a much quieter voice._

_“..Practically a fledgling...”_

_“Okay,” said Michael with an unimpressed quirk of the eyebrow before turning to Anna. Standing beside her competitor she looked tranquil and serene, the only indication of the anger beneath being the clenched fist she hid under the sleeve of her robe and the wrathful look in her thunderous grey eyes, like the calm before a storm, hidden by her passive face._

_“Is there anything you would like to say before we take a vote?”_

_“There is, sir,” she replied, composed and confident. Gabriel barely contained a smile as he remembered their first meeting and the way she had stuttered when talking to him, the big scary archangel. She wasn’t stuttering now._

_“Zachariah would do well to remember that many a young angel has raised fledglings into loyal, hard working individuals, dedicated to our Father,” she said, aiming a well-concealed glare at the floundering angel beside her as she turned to the crowd._

_“For example!”_

_She gestured a hand to an angel with light grey wings speckled with brown. With a jolt, Gabriel recognised him to be Joshua, one of the oldest angels in Heaven. No where near as old as him, of course, but still old. He used to know him well, distinctly remembering the wise words he used and the kind sparkle in his eyes._

_“Joshua, at just a millennia old, raised Daniel, Marut and Gadreel to be honourable, devoted citizens of Heaven.”_

_The three angel’s mentioned bowed their heads, grinning embarrassedly as the sparkle in their former guardian’s eyes shone brighter than normal. This was a reaction echoed by all of the angels Anna called out, proud to be recognised in the eyes of their family. Gabriel was sure to direct a respectful nod in each of their directions, enjoying the delighted grins that lit up their faces._

_“Perhaps,” Anna said finally, turning back to her rival who was now spluttering and red-faced, “Zachariah might research his arguments before using them so...disrespectfully.”_

_Zachariah’s chest puffed out in outrage, saliva spraying from his gaping mouth in rage._

_“N-now, I never said-I never meant-” he trailed off as he heard tutting from the crowd and his plump face now turned a shade darker._

_“Well, I believe it is time for us to vote,” Michael announced, the corners of his lips threatening to curl up into a smile, “Gabriel?”_

_“I vote for pink,” he said, winking at the pink-winged angel who bowed her head graciously in reply, a red blush staining her cheeks and matching her flaming hair._

_Gabriel heard saw Zachariah’s protest before he heard it. His chest inflated abruptly as he took a large intake of breath and his eyes widened. With a flare of his unimpressive beige wings he leapt into the verbal attack, rage making him ignorant to the good humoured smile slipping off the youngest archangel’s face._

_“What do you know, hm? The youngest of the ‘mighty’ archangels,” he sneered, face crinkled into a snarl. “What do any of you know? You let this,” he paused to sniff disgustedly at Anna, “fledgling take this poor young one. Have you no honour? Do you take no pride in our father’s creation?”_

_Zachariah continued ranting, heedless to the fact the crowds attention was not on him. It was instead fixed on Gabriel who had not taken his steady gaze off the raving angel, his six golden wings unfurling agonizingly slow behind him._

_“And another thing-” the tirade came to a sudden stop as Zachariah noticed Heaven had fallen deathly still. The redness that had blotched his face dissipated instantly as his watery blue eyes met Gabriel’s fiery gold ones and the smile that failed to reach them._

_“Oh please, don’t let me interrupt,” the archangel said, his voice barely above a whisper. He cocked his head, examining Zachariah and the way his lower lip began to tremble. In a flash of gold, Gabriel was in front of him, wings raised high, emitting a glow of primordial power._

_“I mean, what would I know, being the youngest archangel?” he growled as Zachariah fell to his knees, shrinking into a ball._

_“Mercy! I beg you! I’m sorry for my disrespect, I’m sorry!”_

_Gabriel let him cower for a few moments to teach him a lesson, to make sure he never disrespected Anna or any other of his siblings. That’s what he told himself anyway, ignoring the exhilarating feeling of power roaring through his system, heating his very core with a fire that burned away his sense of self, leaving nothing but the primordial creature he’d been created to be. Slowly, he managed to reign himself back, allowing his wings to relax._

_“Ah, don’t sweat it,” he said with a tremulous smile that disappeared almost immediately, patting Zachariah’s quivering shoulders. Exhilaration was replaced with regret as he noticed the rest of his siblings; their fearful glances, submissive postures, drooping wings._

_Even Anna looked unnerved, pale pink wings fluttering nervously behind her. He looked back at the archangels, who looked on grave faced, save for Lucifer whose dark eyes seemed to be hiding a grin. A sickening sensation overcame him and in another golden flash he was back in his chair, fiddling with the end of his robe._

_“Raphael?” Michael asked as if nothing has happened._

_“Anna. We cannot have fledglings taught by those who disrespect archangels,” she replied, her voice almost the perfect imitation of Michael’s. The were nervous murmurs of agreement from the crowd and Gabriel cringed. He wanted to hide away, tuck himself somewhere that no one could find him, hidden from the gaze of his terrified siblings._

_“I agree,” Michael announced and Raphael beamed. “Lucifer?”_

_Lucifer flicked his head with a noncommittal nod and the fledgling’s fate was decided._

_“We have chosen. Congratulations, Anna.”_

_Anna’s beam seemed to lift the tense atmosphere, prompting action from her brothers and sisters as they moved forwards in one, synchronized wave. They swamped her with congratulations and hugs, pushing Zachariah aside who was still hunched over, his ordeal unforgotten. Gabriel’s thoughts were similarly preoccupied._

He wouldn’t have actually hurt him... Would he?

_Gabriel physically shook his head to rid himself of the terrifying thoughts clouding his head._

Of course he wouldn’t have hurt him. He had the situation completely under control. He was just giving him a healthy dose of fear to stop him from bullying others. That’s all it was.

_He looked up up just in time to see Anna looking lovingly at the tiny being she had cradled in her arms. Angels hushed each other as she cleared her throat._

_“I name him… Balthazar!”_

**|/#~#\|**

 

The plan had seemed simple enough; find Anna’s nest. Get to Anna’s nest without getting seen. Convince her to help. 

Gabriel tried to avoid flying as much as possible, leaping from roof to roof, avoiding the eyes of bustle of angels below. Every so often, his shadow caught someone's eye and he had to duck backwards to avoid being seen, clutching the fledgling even tighter to his body. He was constantly glancing over his shoulder, expecting to see a pointed finger and a yell of recognition. 

Even from the roof tops Gabriel could hear the mutterings and gossips of the crowds, exchanging stories and opinions.

“...Sister, I swear, the lightening was protecting _Michael_ , not the abomination..”

“...Can you imagine if you were stuck as the guardian of such a creature…”

“...It’s finally happened, Gabriel’s gone insane…”

“...I feel more sorry for the fledgling than the guardian…”

He continued on with the journey, pushing away the negative thoughts that threatened to bubble in his head, triggered by the cruel jokes at his expense. He couldn’t afford to stop now; his fledgling needed him.

And anyway, the gossiping did have its positives. The angels seemed far too engrossed in their discussions to pay any heed to the archangel travelling directly above them, gigantic wings flat against his back and sparkling, golden eyes narrowed with determination.

After a while, Gabriel came to a halt and pursed his lips, looking around. He started in one direction and stopped again, deciding to take another route before thinking better of it. Rubbing his chin in thought, he looked from side to side until he felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking down, he was met with the startling blue eyes of his fledgling and Loki’s antennae twitching nervously.

“What? Quit looking at me like that, I know what I’m doing.”

The cobalt orbs were unwavering and, Gabriel thought, skeptical. Loki looked on mockingly.

“ _I do!_ ” he said, his tone rising in pitch defensively, “Angels always build their nest next to their guardian. I just have to.. Remember where Naomi’s nest is.”

He avoided the two unimpressed frowns by looking around again, trying to gain a sense of direction. Out the corner of his eye he spotted a box-like building. Something felt familiar but he couldn’t be sure, considering it was surrounded by identical box-like buildings. Sighing with frustration, he made his way over, leaping from roof to roof. He had to keep moving his wings in case the glow from the walk ways fell on them, reflecting golden light like a beacon.

A giggle suddenly resonated through the air like a song, followed by the light tap of footsteps. Gabriel barely had time to duck for cover before a small fledgling ran directly underneath them, deep purple wings flapping unceremoniously behind him. He stopped, panting heavily, to look over his shoulder. The beaming smile on his rosy face grew as another angel appeared.

“Balthazar! Don’t go running off like that,” she reprimanded but her words lost conviction as she began to grin herself. Her pale pink wings was held high behind her, looking dignified and graceful compared to the unkempt mess of feathers protruding from Balthazar’s back. The guardian seemed to notice the bedraggled state of her fledgling’s wings too. 

“Look at the mess of your feathers,” Anna tutted while stooping so she could reach out to flatten them. Her fledgling batted her hand away, his laughter turning to groans of protest.

“Leave them alone, they look fine,”

“They don’t look fine to me.” 

The fledgling and guardian followed the pathway before stopping at a building. The building, Gabriel noted, next to the nest he thought was Naomi’s.

“I told you,” he whispered to the tiny fledgling clutched to his chest.

“Well, they’re not your wings,” Balthazar whined.

“Don’t use that tone with me. You’re not an angel yet.”

The archangel smiled as he recognised the sharp note to Anna’s voice, just like the day she had won against Zachariah. The fledgling stood no chance.

“Now, get inside and let me groom them.”

Balthazar moaned dramatically and stomped through the large, black door to their nest, his purple wings splayed in defiance as his guardian rolled her eyes and followed him. The door slammed shut and the everything was silent again, save for the distant, high pitched hum Heaven always seemed to emit.

Gabriel told himself that now was the time to move but his body refused to comply, the weight of what he was about to do now seeming even more daunting. With one last look at the little fledgling he got up, fighting the overwhelming urge to freeze, and spread out his wings, scattering flecks of golden light all around. Loki, who was now waiting on the top of the little one’s head, gave an encouraging twitch of the antenna. 

After hesitating for a few moments, he stepped of the roof and glided, landing neatly by the door to the nest. His fear was quelled, if only for a moment, as he saw the fledgling’s eyes widen with wonder at the sight of Gabriel’s six powerful wings working together in unison, their golden glow reflecting like a twinkle in his large, azurite orbs.

Grimacing, he stretched a tentative hand to the door and curled it into a fist. Before he could retract it, he gave three sharp knocks and darted backwards, clutching the little fledgling tightly to his body.

_What was he doing?_

Fear rose in his stomach, elevating his breathing and drying his mouth. Heaven’s hum grew louder in his ears as his chest rose and fell swiftly, bobbing the fledgling’s head with every shaking breath. The movement disturbed the little one who had already picked up on the archangel’s distress.

First, he sniffled slightly. Then his face scrunched up. Gabriel looked down in horror as a wail rose from the back of the tiny fledgling’s throat.

“Shhhhhh, shhhhh, please be quiet,” he pleaded, rocking the little one gently as he continued to scream, “why do you have to do this _now_?”

The fledgling’s howling was one of the archangel’s least favourite noise, second only to the drawn out scraping sound as the door in front of him eased open, scratching the dull, white floor beneath them. Gabriel froze as a figure appeared, and his terror became blinding as he watched the colour drain from her face.

Petrified golden eyes met stunned grey ones for the first time in a millenia and all other noises were forgotten, dissipating into the air.

“Hiya, pink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a comment/kudos letting me know how I've done and what I can improve on, I'd appreciate it so so much.  
> As I've said before, I have lots of work atm so I don't know when I'll be posting next. However, you don't need to be worried about me not continuing with this story because I just planned out the first half of the story and I'm so excited to write it and show you guys :D  
> Well, thank you again for reading! I think I've said this before, but if you want to know where I'm up to in writing the next chapter or if you have any questions, feel free to comment or send me a question via my Tumblr (sassmycroft) and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible.  
> Sophie xx


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! This is a little shorter than previous chapter so I've posted it sooner :)  
> I really hope you enjoy <3  
> Sophie xx  
> p.s. again, massive thanks to my beta, Dayna <3

For a few moments, all the sounds that had previously overwhelmed Gabriel fell silent, as if looking into Anna’s face somehow made everything else disappear. The quiet brought him a sense of calm; peace; acceptance. It was as if he were a quiet observer, mildly curious as he watched the emotions dance across the stormy skies of Anna’s eyes.

_Curiosity. Confusion. Shock. Anger._

Out the corner of his eye, Gabriel caught the movement of the door swinging shut, eclipsing the rays of light emerging from the nest. 

Panic cut through his surrealness like a blade. Like Michael’s blade that had nearly come down, ending the life of a being just created, a being clutched to his chest with large blue eyes and tears streaming from them. This door was just as dangerous, cutting off their last hope and the fledgling’s future in one quick, devastating motion. Was he really going to allow this to happen?

As if a switch had been flicked, all the sounds returned with an alarming, ferocious force, overwhelming the archangel. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, as if shutting off his vision would stop the assault on his senses.

_The scraping noise as the door grated along the floor. The fledgling’s wails. The hum of Heaven, consistent and oblivious._ A loud bang echoed around him, vibrating through his skull.

The door. It had closed. A crushing sense of failure weighed on Gabriel’s shoulders, diffusing through his body. How was he supposed to raise the fledgling now? 

Perhaps he could break the door down?

No. _Stupid_. As if an archangel battering down her door would help the situation. 

Horror bloomed in the pit of his stomach as he realised he had just considered breaking a siblings door down, a sibling with a young fledgling, no less.

Michael was right, archangels were not built for this. They were built to fight, not protect. It was as if a pressure was pushing inwards, squeezing him of any hope, leaving him flat and empty. 

Peculiarly, the pressure weighing his body down was felt more astutely in his foot. He cracked open an eye and was met with a sliver of light emerging from the nest. Looking down, he realised his foot lay in between the door and the wall, preventing it from closing. 

A wave of relief coursed through his mind for a split second, cooling and soothing him, as if, somehow, his troubles were over.

_Stupid. You still need to convince her to let you in, you useless pile of feathers._

“Leave,” Anna hissed, no hint of the softness she’d shown earlier. Only an impassioned grey eye and a few strands of red hair could be seen through the slender gap in the door.

“No can do,” Gabriel tried at a smirk but it fell flat, looking more like a grimace, “I need your help.”

“I said _leave_ ,”

“Sister, please-”

“Take that abomination away from my nest,” came her scathing reply. Gabriel felt her words like a punch to the abdomen, knocking him of air, leaving his breath uneven and stuttering. 

He thought back to the Anna he knew before. The fledgling with innocence shining in her eyes and a small smile painted on her lips. The young angel who fought for the right to raise a fledgling. The angel he saw just a few minutes before, gently reprimanding, protective and kind. Gabriel refused to believe she could change so much, that anyone could change the goodness so deeply imbedded in their grace.

“Fine,” he said, raising the hand that wasn’t gripped around the fledgling, “I’ll go, and you can shut the door if you want.”

He paused, absorbing the emotions flickering across Anna’s troubled face.

“But don’t you dare call him an abomination. The only crime he’s guilty of is living and if helping him do that makes me an abomination too then I take the title gladly,” he said, passion lighting up his eyes into sparkling golden flames.

“The Archangel Michael said it was a danger to us,” Anna replied, her voice hard.

“Michael talks out of his ass-”

“-He is the most powerful being in Heaven-”

“-Only because everyone follows him blindly!”

“God chose him!”

“Oh, and he’s told you that himself, has he?”

“It is known,” she spat. Gabriel was taken aback by her venom, unused to being spoken to in such a manner, before realising it wasn’t anger that was driving her; it was fear. “I will not endanger my fledgling by bringing such a dangerous creature into my nest.”

Gabriel forced himself to relax, lowering the tone of his voice until it was calm and understanding.

“Look at him, truly look at him, and tell me he’s a danger.”

Anna glared at him for a few moments before her gaze flickered downwards compulsively. It was the first time she had looked at the fledgling, properly, since they’d arrived. The fledgling, whose cries had been growing steadily quieter, was now completely silent, gazing back into Anna’s fierce eyes with a sharp intensity of his own. Blue met grey and the angel was transfixed, lost in the azurite oceans of the little one’s orbs.

“He needs someone to look after him but..” Gabriel sighed, looking downwards, “But I can’t do it alone.”

“Why not?” Anna questioned, finally looking up. Her gaze seemed softer, less harsh, as if the fear was beginning to disappear like ice thawing in the warm rays of the sun.

Gabriel huffed a humourless laugh.

“I know more about acting like a fool than raising a fledgling.”

Anna continued to look at him, unblinking, and his lopsided grin faltered.

“I am trying, I really am,” he said, voice cracking slightly as he tried to reign in the desperate tone corrupting his voice, “but Archangels weren’t meant for this. I haven’t been prepared or taught or trained, I’m completely in the dark… which is where you come in, pink.”

The archangel examined Anna’s unwavering gaze and realised she didn't seem disgusted or fearful. Hope spurred him on, blossoming inside him like a flower, vibrant and full of life. 

“You don’t have to become Guardian for two, I wouldn’t make you do that. I just need to know what to do. Are they supposed to sleep? When do they start flying? How powerful are they? Is him pulling my feathers out a sign of affection or does he want to kill me?”

At that, Anna smiled and something seemed to break within her. Gabriel smiled too and he felt an easiness begin to form; a bond.

“You don't have to do anything you don’t want to do. If you think it will endanger you or your fledgling then I respect that but please,” he implored, “We - I - need you.”

With that, he removed his foot from the door and held his breath, spikes of apprehension and doubt shooting through his body. 

_Please, dad, don't let me have misjudged this._

He pulled the little one closer to his chest and tilted his head forward, burying his nose into the messy nest topping the fledgling’s head. Black strands of hair tickled his face comfortingly, and he felt a strange warmth blooming in his chest. Before he could dissect these new emotions fizzling inside his skull, Anna opened her mouth and panic replaced any other thoughts immediately.

“Fine,” she said simply, widening the door to reveal her pale pink wings, protruding from her back in arches, appearing to glow slightly as light shone through the feathers around her wing’s edges. Gabriel closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky, releasing the breath he had unknowingly held. 

_Thank you._

“You better get inside before someone sees you,” she warned, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. With a jolt, Gabriel realised they were still out in the open; vulnerable; exposed. 

With a thankful smile and gratitude sparkling in his eyes, he stepped through the door and into the nest. As they passed Anna in the doorway, a tiny hand stretched out towards her, palm clutching at air. She flinched back, suspicion clouding her grey eyes as she examined the fledgling's stodgy fingers yearning to touch. She looked between the hand and Gabriel, silently asking for an answer, worry creasing her features.

The archangel smiled softly in reply before shuffling the little one closer to her, raising an eyebrow in a silent offer. Hesitantly, she opened her arms and Gabriel passed him along. The fledgling giggled happily, clutching strands of red hair in his little fists and resting his heavy head in the crook of her neck. Gabriel kept a careful hand out, just in case Anna froze in fear, but he needn’t do anything. She handled the fledgling as naturally as the loving adoration that shone from her face. Unconsciously, she ran her thumb down the shiny, black surface of his feathers, much to the archangel’s joy.

With Anna preoccupied, Gabriel closed the door behind them, cocooning him in a sensation of safety and security, and all was well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I really really hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a kudos or a comment telling me if you did or did not like it, and how I can improve.  
> Also, just so you guys know, I've planned out the first half of this story in detail and I cannot wait to show you guys, hopefully it's going to be awesome :D  
> So yeah, I hope you all have a wonderful day/night and I'll see you next time :)  
> Sophie xx


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again guys!   
> Thanks again to my wonderful beta, Dayna!  
> I hope you enjoy reading :)  
> Sophie xx

Anna’s nest, on first glance, seemed just like the rest of Heaven; perfect. 

Stainless walls permeated a cold glow, blanketing them in white light as they walked deeper into the nest. Light, grey marble made up the floor, speckled slightly with black dots and glimmering in the wall’s glow. Stairs, made of the same material, led upwards, rising into the unknown of the floor above. The ceiling was similar to the walls, white in colour, but lacking any ethereal luminescence. Gabriel felt suffocated by its faultlessness, boxed in by its linear lines and dizzying light.

However, on closer inspection, he noticed subtle signs of individuality and character. Small scratches at the bottom of the walls where someone had accidently scraped along its white exterior. Tiny dints could be seen in the marble floor, ruining its illusion of perfection. A group of tiny purple feathers had collected in the corner of the hallway. They floated gently upwards in as they passed by, caught by the wind.

Only the gentle patter of their footsteps could be heard as Anna, still carrying the fledgling, led him to another door. An ugly, uncomfortable feeling started to rear its head as Gabriel scrutinized how the fledgling fitted into Anna’s side, as if he were made to be there. The archangel wrestled with the emotion, pushing it back down into the depths of wherever it appeared from.

_You should be thankful she’s helping._

“Is it likely that Naomi saw us?” he asked, unwilling to focus on the thoughts whirling around his skull.

“I don’t think so, she left her nest a while ago.” 

She slowed as she got to a large, black door and turned round, gesturing for the archangel to take the fledgling back. He lifted his hands out and awkwardly grasped his tiny torso, grimacing in effort as he tried not to drop him. A whine rose in the little one’s throat and the archangel tried to hide his disappointment with a smirk.

“Looks like he prefers you,” he joked halfheartedly, trying to battle with the wriggling fledgling. Anna gave him a sympathetic smile, reading his hurt easily.

“He doesn’t prefer me, you’re just holding him wrong. Look, here,” she said, taking hold of his hand and guiding it to a better position. 

Soon, the little one was moulded into the archangel’s side with his head resting on his shoulder. A soft smile rose unknowingly on Gabriel’s face as he looked down at the fledgling, so innocent and pure. A strange warmth unfurled in his chest again, although this time it roared into a small flame, burning hot and growing.

He finally tore his gaze away from the fledgling to find Anna regarding him with a thoughtful expression. She stopped once she realised he was looking at her and quickly opened the door.

“This is our main living quarters,” she said, bowing her head sheepishly as the Archangel peered around the room. It was similar to the hallway, except larger, and with far more indications that this was a nest, not just a continuation of Heaven’s faultless walkways. The walls were not quite as stainless, the floor not as shiny, and there seemed to odd little objects littering the floor.

“What’s that?” he asked, gesturing to one of the objects, a small, brown sphere in the corner of the room. His movement disturbed the little one who groaned quietly in his sleep, a fistful of Gabriel’s robe scrunched in his hand.

‘Oh, it’s just one of Balthazar’s toys,” she said before pointing to another object with a crude sort of likeness to an angel, “Like that one over there.”

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully.

“Where do you get them?”

“Just down the market,”

“Ah.”

An awkward silence fell as Gabriel glanced around the room and Anna looked at her feet, hands clasped behind her back. Just as he was about to enquire after Anna’s fledgling, something hanging on one of the walls caught his attention. It was square, with a thick border surrounding what looked to be a tiny, purple feather.

“Is that one of Balthazar’s?”

Happiness and pride twinkled in Anna’s eyes as she saw what Gabriel was referring to.

“Yes, it was the first feather he ever shed,” she said, breathing a laugh, “The poor thing was itching all over for weeks.”

“Itching?”

“Yes, a fledgling’s wings are sensitive. When they start to shed, they can become very itchy,” 

“Oh,” he said, raising his eyebrows, “That’s new,”

“You didn’t know?” Anna frowned, “Dont you remember when you were a fledgling?”

“Yeah, well, there were other things to concentrate on at the time,”

Anna sensed the Archangel’s uneasiness and the two fell into another awkward silence, broken only by the soft breathing of the sleeping fledgling. He slept open mouthed and was now drooling slightly, his chubby cheek pressed firmly into Gabriel’s shoulder.

“So, er,” he started, attempting to break the silence, “How often do they sleep?”

“At least every couple of hours,” replied Anna with a relieved smile, “until they find their grace, that is,”

Then it was Gabriel turn to frown, tilting his head in confusion. “Wait, what?”

“Their grace helps but before they find that they need sleep to grow,” Anna continued, oblivious to the Archangel’s expression of perplexity, “Otherwise, they may not reach their full-”

“Woah, wait, hold up a second. They need to _find_ their grace?”

Anna blinked a couple of times.

“..Yes.”

“You mean to say it isn’t just.. In them?”

“...Yes.”

Stunned, the Archangel stepped back, pondering over his new discovery. He struggled to find the right words before settling with a simple, 

“Huh.”

He opened his mouth to ask more questions but was distracted by the gentle patter of small footsteps and the door behind him creaking open.

“Annaaaaa,” Balthazar whined, sticking his head around the door, “I’ve been waiting upstairs for _ages_ and - Oh.”

The fledgling stopped abruptly and stared at Gabriel. His eyes were a concoction of blue and grey, tracing up the large golden appendages sprouting from the archangel’s back. His mouth fell open slightly, wonder radiating from him, and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious.

“Balthazar,” Anna said, beckoning him over, “this is Gabriel,”

“H-hello,” he squeaked, gripping to Anna’s leg as if he were going to float away otherwise. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and sent an apologetic smile to Gabriel, who nodded with understanding.

“Hiya, big guy,” he said, flattening his wings to his back as tightly as he could. Uncomfortable though it was, he didn’t want to appear as someone to be feared, obeyed or awed at. 

“I like your wings,” said Balthazar, his voice barely above a whisper. 

“Thank you,” he replied, smiling, “I like yours too,”

A blush stained the fledgling’s cheeks as he registered the archangel’s words and he beamed with pleasure. He looked up at his Guardian and tugged at her robe, making sure she had heard. Then all happiness was washed from his face, replaced with a wary curiosity.

“Is that...?” he trailed off, eyes fixed on the fledgling gripped in Gabriel’s arms. The archangel followed his gaze and realised the little one’s eyes were open, engaging Balthazar in a strangely intense staring contest.

“This is Gabriel’s fledgling, Balthazar,” she said gently, “the angel that has just been created.”

Balthazar kept his eyes placed firmly on the fledgling as he answered. “The one you took me away from when everyone started running?”

Anna looked down sheepishly, avoiding the archangel’s eyes.

“Yes,” she mumbled.

“It’s okay, Anna, I understand,” Gabriel said, smiling softly as she looked back up. After a moment, she returned it, relieved.

“But,” Balthazar piped in, finally tearing his eyes from the little one’s hypnotic blue orbs, “I thought Archangels couldn’t have fledglings,”

“That’s normally the case but the other angels were--” he sighed as he searched for a way to explain in a fledgling friendly way-- “mean to him. So I took him in.”

“Why were they mean?” the fledgling persisted.

“They thought his wings were… Too unusual.”

Balthazar frowned, his features creasing with confusion as he stared intently at the tiny black feathers sprouting from the other fledgling’s back. Before Gabriel could comprehend his actions, the fledgling stepped forward and reached out a hand. It stopped in mid air, suspended in front of the little one’s face, where it was inspected by large blue eyes. Balthazar held his breath and waited, a blend of worry and determination painted on his face.

“Balthazar,” Anna tutted, “You're going to scare him.”

As the words left Anna’s mouth, a hand rose to meet Balthazar’s. It wrapped it's tiny fingers around the side of his palm and clung there, like a completed circuit. Gabriel and Anna swapped looks of bewilderment as their fledglings seemed to share something intangible but strong.

Then the little one let go and Balthazar dropped his arm, wandering back to Anna’s side as if what had just transpired was completely ordinary.

“Well, I won't be mean to him,” he said to Gabriel solemnly. His eyes widened with honesty, imploring the archangel to believe him.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Gabriel replied with a lopsided smile but relief bubbled underneath the surface. He was glad for allies, someone to protect the tiny being in his arms, even if they come in the form of a couple hundred year old fledgling. 

“What’s his name?” Balthazar asked.

Gabriel opened his mouth to answer before realising he didn't have one.

“I didn't have chance to name him, I was too busy trying to keep the stuck up Ass-angels from casting him out.”

Anna frowned at his language as Balthazar giggled sweetly, clasping a hand to his mouth in an attempt to reduce the sniggering. 

“I don’t want you repeating any of that word to anyone,” she said, turning to her fledgling, warning laced in with her words.

“But _why?_ It’s just a _word_ ,”

The fledgling and Guardian began to argue but Gabriel could barely hear it, zoning out of the conversation to focus on idea fizzling in his head. 

_..Casting him out.._

He felt a prickling sensation tingling his head and looked down to find the fledgling’s attentive blue eyes looking back, boring into his skull, as if urging him on.

_..Casting.._

“I can say ass if I want to,” Balthazar said as his eyes narrowed rebelliously, “‘Ass’. See.”

_..Cast.._

“Apologise,” Anna ordered, hands resting on her hips.

_..Cassiel?_

“Ass, ass, ass,”

_..Castael?_

“Stop it right now or I’m sending you to your room,”

“Castiel!”

Gabriel exclamation broke the tense staring contest Anna and Balthazar were ruthlessly engaging in. They both turned to him, surprise and confusion clouding their faces.

“What?” asked Anna.

“Castiel,” Gabriel repeated as a smile twinkled in his eyes, bringing out their golden hue. He gently stroked the little one’s cheek with his finger, provoking a soft giggle. “I name you Castiel.”

For a few moments there was silence, and a sense of significance was felt by everyone in the room. It was as if something momentous had just occurred, though no one could put their finger on what.

“That’s a wonderful name,” Anna said, her expression emitting sincerity and kindness.

Balthazar nodded in agreement. “Can I call him Cas?” 

“Right, that’s it, go to your room-”

“-I didn’t say ‘ass’! I said-”

“ _Now!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading! Thanks so much for sticking with the story, there aren't words to describe how much I appreciate every single comment and kudos. Just, thank you so so much <33  
> Sophie xx


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So sorry this took ages to be posted, I've been really busy with college and my virgin media decided to block AO3 on my computer :/ :'D  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!!  
> Sophie xx  
> p.s. once again, thank you to my amazing beta, Dayna <3

“This is so unfair,” Balthazar howled, his arms swinging loosely by his side as he stomped towards the stairs. He whined all the way to his room and made loud thumping noises with every step. Eventually, the sound of a door slamming shut was heard, marking the end of his tantrum.

Gabriel smiled, wondering how little Castiel would turn out, when a high pitched screech pierced through his head. His hand shot up and pressed into his temple in an attempt to sooth the violent ringing.

“Gabriel? Are you okay?” Anna asked once she noticed his pained grimace.

“Yeah, I think it's just Michael,”

As if on queue, Michael’s deep voice echoed around his head, washing through his mind with a hypnotic calm.

**“Gabriel, you are to report to the Gohe room… Immediately.”**

The piercing screeching ceased, leaving a sensation of emptiness and apprehension.

Despite their calming quality, Michael’s words sent sparks of fear sizzling through his blood. Tiny explosions of uneasiness erupted in his head, releasing anxious thoughts that spiraled into illogical terror. Gabriel tried to reign it in, focusing on what was important.

“Would you…?” He trailed off, holding out Castiel. 

“Yes, of course,” Anna said, jolting into action after a few seconds of puzzlement. Carefully, she took the little one into her arms. “What did Michael say?”

“He wants to see me in the Gohe room for a meeting.” 

As he said this, Gabriel twisted around and checked his wings, fastidiously grooming the tides of golden feathers for anything out of place or messy. He smoothed them over with his fingers, gently plucking any that were spiking out in the wrong direction. “Is it okay if I leave Castiel with you?”

Anna nodded, bundling the fledgling closer to her. 

“Okay, well, uh, thanks,” he said awkwardly as he headed towards the door. It was an odd feeling, to trust someone with his fledgling but not know them well enough to be at ease in their presence. The other angel inclined her head, wisps of red hair falling across her face. The last thing Gabriel saw before he closed the door was Anna gazing lovingly at Castiel, a protective intensity radiating from her.

He made his way back through the suffocatingly white hallway while trying to ignore the stabs of jealousy shooting through his body. He should be glad-- No, he was glad for Anna’s help. Exasperated with himself, he continued down the hallway towards the nest’s entrance, shaking away any thoughts of envy.

Just as his hand touched the door’s handle, a light, tickling sensation trickled up his arm, stopping at his shoulder. Frowning, Gabriel peered to the side and saw a pair of antennae twitching nervously out the corner of his eye.

“Loki!” he exclaimed, extending a finger for him to crawl onto. Once he could see the little beetle properly, he realised he wasn’t nervous; he was angry. Gabriel avoided his black, beady eyes.

“Sorry, bud, I completely forgot about you,”

Loki turned away from him and glowered.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that. I’ll make it up to you,”

“Who’s that?” came a whisper from behind him. Gabriel started and spun round to find Balthazar perched eagerly on the steps.

“Ooooh, you have some guts coming down here,” the archangel grinned, and Balthazar’s expression instantly dropped.

“I didn’t--” he started angrily before pausing and choosing to take his voice down a notch in volume, “I didn’t say.. The word. Not the last time anyway!”

“Yeah, I know,” he said sympathetically. Balthazar's angry expression turned to him and he realised he’d said the wrong thing.

“Then why didn’t you say anything!” the fledgling whispered furiously.

“You think I want to start an argument with Anna?” he said, shuddering dramatically, “She’d tear me to pieces,”

Balthazar tried to keep a straight face but he ended up giggling, and Gabriel smiled along with him. A thought struck him and he bent down to the fledgling’s level.

“While I’m out, would you mind looking after my friend here?” he said while lifting the beetle up to their eyeline, “He’s called Loki.”

Wonder replaced the mirth in Balthazar’s light blue-grey eyes and, carefully, he stretched out his palm. The beetle turned back to Gabriel, sending him another scathing glare.

“Trust me pal, you’ll prefer it here to where I’m going,” 

The archangel could almost see the beetle’s brain straining, considering his options. Eventually, with a last petty antennae twitch, Loki crawled across. Gabriel marvelled at how small the fledgling's hand was compared to his, thinking of how much Castiel was going to grow. Excitement fizzled within him, mixing with the apprehension that had settled in the pit of his stomach since Michael’s message.

“I’ll look after him,” Balthazar said solemnly. Gabriel smiled, but not in a mocking way.

“I know.” For a moment they regarded each other with a mutual respect, as equals. Gabriel basked in Balthazar’s wide-eyed gaze, letting the warm feeling of acceptance envelope him. 

Reluctantly, the archangel pushed away these new emotions. He has his duties, and tricking himself into a false sense of belonging would only cause more pain in the future.

With a loud sigh, he stood up, stretching his wings in preparation of flight. Light bounced off his feathers as if they were golden mirrors and the tops of his wings gently scraped the ceiling. A smirk appeared on the Archangel’s face as he watched Balthazar’s mouth open in wonder, finding the fledgling’s awe more fascinating than his wings ever could be.

“I’d get gone before Anna finds you,” Gabriel said as his hand closed around the cold surface of the door handle. Hesitating for a moment, he finally opened it, unwilling to leave the safety of the nest.

“See you soon?” Balthazar said, both a goodbye and a question. Gabriel noted the hope in his eyes and something in his heart gave way. An overwhelming wave of affection flooded his mind as he realised the fledgling truly wanted him back.

“Definitely,” he managed to croak. With a final glance at Balthazar he forced himself out the door and slammed it shut before he could change his mind.

He took a moment to look down the ethereal streets of Heaven. No one seemed to be outside which Gabriel found strange. _They’re probably still gossiping at the market._

The archangel redirected his gaze upward at the bright blue. It stretched to every corner of the sky, so artificial and cold, as if Heaven were capable of no other colours but white and blue. He couldn’t understand why his Father hadn’t made it a nicer shade, why He’d settled for this everlasting blanket of weak, insipid blue. 

Why had He left Heaven with this when Earth’s sky could be mistaken for a small slice of the universe, changing from orange to blue to black, unpredictable and exquisite. 

What about it’s oceans? Constantly swirling, flowing, seething, foaming; Towers of blue sculpting layers of immovable rock as if they were made of sand. 

What about Castiel’s eyes? Spirals of azurite, so calm and tranquil, like peering into the soul of an ancient being.

Of all the blues He has created, why had He left Heaven with this? Why had He left at all?

Gabriel physically shook his head, ridding himself of the questions spiralling around his skull that were beginning to build momentum and power. 

*

_“It’s a dangerous path to keep asking questions,” said Michael, once. “If you keep asking questions, you’ll become one yourself.”_

_“But how can someone become a question?” Gabriel had asked, still barely an angel._

_“Your sole purpose will be to find answers, constantly searching for something you’ll never find. Don’t be a question, be an answer.”_

_“But, how am I supposed to be an answer if I don’t know any answers?”_

_Michael was beginning to get annoyed. “Well, you can start by not asking so many questions.”_

*

He pushed himself into the cold, distant sky, his wings slicing through the air like golden blades. 

It was strange, he thought, how things so powerful could be made of feathers. They were so silky and soft; pliable and weak. Take one by itself and it goes with the breeze, floating along helplessly, taken away and lost. The wind is a force of nature so much stronger than each individual feather.

But when feathers work together they become a solid wall of power, and the effortless freedom of flight is possible. They can create the breeze or fight it. They can go with the wind or devote every fiber to pushing against it. With wings, flight is inevitable. They can fly against nature, each feather rustling happily as they swoop upwards and beyond.

Gabriel was now cutting through the sky, high up and out of sight. If anyone were to look up they would see a tiny dot floating along in the blue, and that was how Gabriel wanted it. The less attention, the better.

In the distance, he spotted the Gohe room. It was a grand but simple building with a single room, held up by extravagant pillars. A narrow staircase, leading up to an entrance hole, was used mostly by his younger siblings. For some reason, Michael encourages them to walk instead of fly. Gabriel had put it down to the eldest archangel trying to create another barrier between them and the rest of Heaven’s population, as if they needed anymore of those.

The Gohe room was a meeting point in which any angel could freely talk to the archangels, whether it be about problems or ideas as to how Heaven could be run. Understandably, meetings were a rare occurrence. Raphael had once boasted this was down to their outstanding leadership, as if the lack of meetings were down to a lack of issues instead of the thick layer of distrust and fear that hung around them, repelling any sane angel from seeking help.

Tucking in his wings, Gabriel curled downwards, golden hair swept back as he plummeted. He kept going until the stairs were at a reasonable distance and he spread his golden appendages out, halting his speed enough to allow a graceful landing. 

After taking a moment to collect and prepare, he hopped up the remaining stairs and passed through the entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I really hope you enjoyed <33 I can't believe it's the 10th chapter!!   
> Please feel free to leave a comment or a kudos, I'd greatly appreciate it!  
> Until next time ;D  
> Sophie xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So sorry for the long wait, I've been really busy and their was a problem sending it to the beta. Hopefully all is well now and I'll be able to post more often!  
> I hope you enjoy!!  
> Sophie xx

For a few moments, he was cast into darkness, save for a dim golden glow emanating from his wings. Despite being a powerful archangel in his own right, he couldn't help but be intimidated by the gloom, forced to think about his situation. As his nervousness grew, so did his pity for the angels brave enough to come here for a meeting. Only now was he able to truly appreciate the courage taken by his younger siblings. Usually, he barely even thought about their struggle; he was the judge, they were just the ones to be judged. Now the tables had turned, and he was terrified.

He finally reached the end of dingy, cave-like corridor and found a door, intimidating and uninviting. Carefully, he reached a hand out to push it open but hesitated, fear stopping the movement of his limbs.

Michael, Lucifer and Raphael were on the other side of this door. The ones who had wished the death of a fledgling. Of _Castiel_.

Suddenly, Gabriel felt as though anger had been simmering under the surface for a millennia, and was now clawing its way up to be heard. 

How _dare_ they wish the death of a completely innocent fledgling; _his_ fledgling; the fledgling who had been observing the new, exciting world around him as those who were supposed to protect him were busy plotting his death. In what universe was this his father’s plan? How had they changed so much?

“Gabriel, you can come in now,” Michael said from the other side of the door, smugness oozing through his tone. Fury washed through him in waves, traveling down into his arms and shoving the door open. The smash of it colliding with the wall echoed through the chamber.

“Oh, can I?” he spat, tilting his head mockingly. With his fists clenched, he walked into the room and was ready to release his wrath when he caught sight of Naomi in the corner of the large stone table, filling the centre of the room. She was looking at him through wide, terrified eyes, their dark grey standing out against her ashen face. Her trembling hand gripped onto the table, keeping her from crumpling to the ground. 

“Are you quite done?”

Raphael’s voice sounded through the room, drawing Gabriel’s attention. On first appearances, she looked unimpressed and relaxed, in no way suffering from the same terror currently consuming Naomi. Her orange wings were held up high and proud, seemingly unaffected by her younger brother’s outburst. 

However, Gabriel noticed a certain stiffness to his sister’s stance, as if she were a statue or pillar, frozen in time. Her neck appeared strained as she tried to keep her head held up in an unconvincing attempt at defiance. The corner of her mouth twitched microscopically, giving her act away.

“No, _sister_ , I’m not. You were all prepared to stand there and watch as an innocent fledgling was nearly impaled by him,” Gabriel raged, pointing at Michael as though his finger were a blade.

“Gabriel,” the eldest archangel started, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture.

“How could you stand there-”

“-Now, listen-”

“-You’re supposed to be a _leader_ -”

“-Brother, calm down-”

“-Don’t you dare call me that. You lost the right to call me that the moment you threatened an innocent fledgling, _my fledgling_.”

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Everyone in the room took a deep breath as Gabriel’s fist clenched in the air, brimming with unchanneled, furious energy. He was was trembling with it, as if lightning was fizzing through his very being.

“If you’d care to listen,” Michael started, his words edged with annoyance, “we, as the compassionate and merciful children of our Father, have decided to forgive the fledgling.”

“Forgive?”

Gabriel’s false laughter echoed around the room.

“What is there to forgive? Existing? He’s the only angel in this damn place that _doesn't_ need forgiveness-”

“I have done no wrong!” said the eldest archangel, voice trembling with indignation.

“Really, Michael? Daddio seems to disagree,”

As soon as those words were uttered, silence fell and the air was sucked out the room. Raphael’s eyes widened almost comically while Michael’s lip curled into a snarl. Normally, Gabriel would back down at this point, but the anger coursing through his body gave him strength.

“How is your ass by the way? I distinctly remember seeing it get a good whopping.”

“That was a _freak_ incident-”

“-You have got to be kidding me-”

“-And has _nothing_ to do with my decision to forgive the fledgling,” Michael’s voice rose in volume as his declaration went on, just like Gabriel’s disbelief. As he continued to rant, the younger archangel zoned out of the madness, incredulous.

_How could he possibly be turning this around? How could he be point blank lying to everyone? Who on Heaven would be believing this crap?_

But as he looked around, his questions were answered. All other angels had their heads bowed submissively, turned away from the eldest archangel as he spat his poisoned words. Even Gabriel was feeling the temptation to fold in on himself, to submit, as his anger ebbed away. Fear was pretty persuasive.

Michael was just coming to the end of his bitter rant when Gabriel noticed a figure emerge from the shadows at the back of the Gohe room. Light fell on the figures face and, with a jolt, Gabriel recognised him. 

Lucifer. 

He was the only one that seemed unperturbed by Michael’s tirade, looking around the room with a relaxed posture, as if he were just going for a stroll. He saw Gabriel looking at him and, with a small, mischievous smile, rolled his eyes. 

Before he could stop himself, Gabriel lips curled into a subtle smirk, and it was just like old times; the two of them laughing as Michael went on another one of his little strops until, eventually, Michael joined in, seeing that he was being ridiculous.

But as Lucifer looked away, Gabriel smile melted. It wasn't old times. It would never be old times again. Both of his older siblings, his beloved, _trusted_ brothers, had wanted Castiel dead. Gone. He would have become a little blip in Heaven’s perfect history. 

Gabriel thoughts turned to the little one and the warmth that swam in his eyes; so innocent, so pure, so good. As he looked back at Lucifer, he saw no such warmth, no purity, no goodness. All he felt was a cold shiver run down his spine and a sense that his brother was no longer the brother he used to know.

“C’mon Michael, this is getting dull now,” drawled Lucifer, drawing Michael’s attention. Going by his surprised expression, the eldest archangel hadn't even noticed he’d made an appearance in the room, “Aren’t we here for a reason?”

Michael cleared his throat. “Yes, of course.”

He glanced back at Gabriel, delivering the words that were supposed to send fear coursing through his veins. “This isn’t over.”

Instead of terror, he felt defiance. “Damn right it's not.”

Michael continued to give Gabriel a hard stare while Lucifer sniggered to himself at the back. After a few second, the eldest brother gave up, rolling his eyes before turning to Naomi. 

“Apologies for my little brother’s behaviour, I hope you can forgive his.. unprofessionalism.”

Gabriel huffed but didn’t say anymore, paying attention to the state Naomi was in. Her hand was still gripped tightly to the table, knuckles turning white. Her face was ashen and her bottom lip quivered slightly. She opened her mouth but no sound could be heard. Eventually she managed to croak out a reply.

“N-no problem, my lord,” she said, bowing her head. After a few second, she looked back up and uncurled her finger from the table, hiding her trembling hands behind her back instead. 

“So, what was it you wanted?” Michael said, his voice having lost any anger, returning to his usual soft, indifferent tone. He pulled up one of the seats and sat down, adjusting his wings and robe until he was comfortable. As if on queue, Raphael dove forward to take the neighbouring seat, sitting upright and alert. Lucifer took the seat to Michael’s left, slouching across it, his wings taking as much space as possible. Gabriel chose to stay standing, ignoring Michael’s pointed glare as he skulked around at the back of the room.

“Well,” Naomi started, hesitating for a few moments. After a quick glance at Gabriel, which the youngest archangel didn't like at all, she continued.

“In the light of recent events, I thought of something which may make Heaven.. Safer.”

Michael’s head tilted in interest while Lucifer leaned towards her. Gabriel stayed where he was, regarding Naomi through narrowed eyes, distrust radiating from him like a foul stench. She paused before uttering words that sent shivers down the youngest archangel’s spine, though he couldn't quite put a finger on why it affected him so much.

“A new form of control.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed! Please leave a kudos/comment to let me know how I've done or whether I can improve. Thanks for reading!  
> Until next time,  
> Sophie xx


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys!  
> Here's the next instalment! I feel like a do this every time, but sorry its taken so long to upload! I am trying to get things out quicker but it doesn't really seem to be working :'D  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading and thanks again to Dayna, my wonderful beta!  
> Sophie xx

Gabriel frowned with confusion as he began to make sense of Naomi’s words.

_Control? Well, that doesn't sound good._

“I-it is very simple, really,” she continued, filling the silence left after her first declaration. Her eyes darted around the room and she chewed her bottom lip, obviously still skittish about addressing the archangels after Gabriel’s outburst. 

Michael paused before opening his mouth. “What would this… ‘new form of control’ look like?”

“Well, it would be a simple procedure,” Naomi seemed to relax as she began to explain, comfortable in the science of her suggestion. “I would mold a needle from a blade, just fine enough to enter the eye without to much damage.”

Gabriel almost missed what she’d said, the horror of her suggestion lost in the casualness of her tone. 

“And of course, we could heal the patient afterwards,” she said offhandedly before continuing with her explanation, “The needle would be enchanted with a spell, designed to encourage the... ‘patient’s’ grace to bend to our will. Then, we would be able to control the patient’s memories, thoughts and will - _re programming_ , if you will.”

The youngest archangel grimaced at the back of the room, his nose wrinkled in disgust. He peered around the room, hoping to see his emotions mirrored on the faces of his siblings. Instead, there was no change. All looked the same as they had before Naomi’s repulsive suggestion as if this were just another normal day. 

With a closer look, however, he saw something even more revolting; a twinkle, a little flame of an idea, burning in Michael’s eyes, which were fixated on Naomi as he listened. Lucifer’s blue eyes held a similar spark, a subtle smile curving his lips, barely noticeable among his blank features. Only Raphael, whose eyes darted between her elder brothers, seemed uncomfortable in the light of Naomi’s proposition.

Gabriel shook his head, horror and disbelief bubbling through his blood. Looking upwards, he smiled his frustration, fists clenched as he started to pace. He was trying to contain his rage, his revulsion, at how his older brothers seemed so keen to abuse their power, so eager to mistreat their own family.

“So, how do you know this?” Michael asked while leaning forward, head tilted in curiosity.

“Well, it… er,” Naomi began to falter, stuttering for a while before finally mumbling out, “In theory,”

“So you only know in theory?” Lucifer said. Both the elder archangels seemed to slump with disappointment which only enraged Gabriel further.

“ _That_ is your only issue with this?”

Everyone in the room looked towards Gabriel, startled, apart from Naomi, who shrunk into herself further, reverting to the quivering shell she was just minutes ago.

“She wants to impale people with some weird blade, bend their grace to her will and control members of our family: and your only problem is that she hasn't tested it out? I’m sorry, I must have missed the bit where dad made you all into twisted psychopaths,” he spat with a bitter smile

To Gabriel’s relief, his brothers seemed to consider his words. With one quick look at Lucifer, Michael sighed heavily and rose from his seat to address Naomi.

“I’m afraid we cannot accept your idea, but we thank you for your time.”

He offered his hand to Naomi which she shook, a grateful expression on her face despite her rejection. As their eyes met, something seemed to pass between them, though Gabriel couldn’t tell what it was. After a few moments, it ended and Lucifer gestured to the door. 

Naomi hurried over to it, obviously desperate to be free. It was strange, Gabriel thought, to see her so… Submissive. As she gave a quick, courteous bow before leaving, the archangel remembered Anna’s fear of her Guardian and Naomi’s intolerant treatment of her. 

_Obviously, she has no problem mistreating those she saw as beneath her._

“I was very disappointed in you today, Gabriel,” Michael said, giving him a pointed glare.

_Reminds me of someone._

“I don't know how I will bear the pain,” he replied through gritted teeth, already making his way towards the door.

“Your disrespect will not be forgotten,”

Gabriel paused under the door way, fists clenching by his side. Deciding he would not give Michael the satisfaction of his fury, he continued, ignoring the muttering that could be heard the moment he left.

**|/#~#\|**

Anna’s smile faded as she saw Gabriel’s expression. He stood in her doorway, biting his lip, arms crossed tightly across his heaving chest. He was restraining himself, binding down every part that may hurt someone if his outrage got the better of him. The only thing left unrestrained were his eyes, their gold darkened with rage.

“Are you okay?” Anna asked hesitantly. The only reply she got was a curt nod.

She sighed, moving to the left of her door to allow him space to come through. He marched in with a brief “thanks”, beelining straight for the main living quarters. After watching him storm past, she shut the door, composing herself before facing the furious archangel in her nest. Gabriel’s sullen silence didn’t last long.

“Michael is _the biggest dick_ of all the dicks,” he declared the moment she walked through, “He has won first place as the _largest_ , most _annoying_ , self centered, _arrogant dick _in all of father’s creation,”__

__Anna raised her eyebrows and her lips began to curve into a small smile as she watched Gabriel rant, staring at the wall in front of him. She bit back a laugh as he turned to her, finger raised in the air and eyes widened with aggravation._ _

__“-and that’s saying something considering Lucifer and Raphael are in the running too. They’ll have to settle for the lesser prizes of _smug shit_ and _Michael’s personal arse licker_. With the amount of shit they both pour out, I’m surprised they’re wings aren't permanently turned brown. You would have thought it would stain. Especially Michael’s wings.”_ _

__His voice turned high pitched and breathy._ _

__“ _Oh_ , how white, how pure he is,” he cooed mockingly, hands waving around wildly, “Father’s chosen one, the _saviour_.”_ _

__His voice quickly returned back to normal. “I’m surprised he doesn't leave a trail of brown wherever he goes with the amount of verbal diarrhea he spews.”_ _

__Anne tried to hold back her laughter but was only half successful, her chuckle coming out as a snort. Gabriel caught her, pausing for a few seconds before realising how funny he must sound. Soon, he was chuckling with her, leaning back against the wall._ _

__“What’s verbal diarrhea?” chimed Balthazar as he walked in, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Anna sighed, aiming a small glare at Gabriel who bit his lip guiltily._ _

__“Never you mind. Did you have a good nap?”_ _

__Balthazar’s bottom lip jutted out sulkily. “No.”_ _

__Anna smiled sympathetically, reaching a hand out to gently stroke his head. The little fledgling leaned into her touch as she explained._ _

__“Balthazar’s a little bored of sleeping now, he just wants to be fully grown and have it over and done with.”_ _

__Gabriel nodded his understanding._ _

__“When will we find my grace?” Balthazar whined, looking up at his guardian._ _

__“When the time is right, and no sooner,”_ _

__The little one sighed, disappointed with her answer._ _

__“Where’s Castiel?” Gabriel asked Balthazar, attempting to distract him._ _

__“He’s upstairs in my room,” he answered, a proud smile growing on his face, “I made him a bed all by myself!”_ _

__The archangel smiled softly, glad he was not the only one looking out for the young fledgling._ _

__“Thank you,” he said sincerely, ruffling Balthazar’s mop of hair. He aimed a quizzical look at Anne and she understood immediately._ _

__“First door on the left,”_ _

__He smiled his gratitude and walked out the main living quarters, into the hallway. It was funny, he thought, how emotion can change perception. When he first arrived in Anne’s nest, it had felt cold and unforgiving, the opposite of a home. Now, having spent so much time with it’s owners, the nest was beginning to feel warmer and homely, as if the love they had so kindly given was spreading throughout the house, unfurling through every gap and crevice._ _

__He made his way upstairs, previous anger forgotten as only thoughts of Castiel filled his mind. It was extraordinary, he thought, how such a tiny being who he’d only just met, and had no idea how he was to turn out, had made such an impact on him._ _

__He reached the top of the stairs, turning left as Anna had instructed, smiling as he found Balthazar’s bedroom door. It was covered in little drawings and bright colours. Some were of Heaven, others of angels. At the top, Balthazar and Anna stood, holding hands, grinning widely. Above them was a sentence written in scribbly writing; “Only Balthazar and Anna allowed to enter. If you are not us GO AWAY”._ _

__Gabriel thought about abiding the sign and going downstairs to ask Balthazar’s permission to enter. However, in the end, he decided against it as the young fledgling had not said anything downstairs. After taking a few moments to look at the drawings, Gabriel gently pushed the door open._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!! Hopefully the next instalment will be out soon as I just finished reading the 'How To Train Your Dragon' series and I'm feeling inspired :) man, it is such a good series.  
> Until next time!  
> Sophie xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for taking so long! Both me and the beta are very busy at the moment so bear with us!!  
> I hope you enjoy <3
> 
> Sophie xx

Like his door, Balthazar’s room was full of bright colours and little drawings. Swirls and scribbles spiraled along the walls like vines, creeping upwards until all drawings stopped suddenly at half way. Gabriel smiled as he imaged Balthazar stretching up as far as he could go, his height preventing him from decorating the entirety of his room. No wonder he was so eager to grow.

After taking in the array of blazing colours, Gabriel spotted a pile of blankets in the corner of the room. They were placed next to a modest bed dotted with tiny purple feathers which presumably belonged to Balthazar.

At first, the bundle of blankets appeared motionless and the archangel continued to look around the room for his fledgling. He felt a jolt of fear in his chest as the seconds ticked by and no Castiel could be seen. Immediately, he chastised himself.

_Two seconds of looking and you’re already panicking. Get yourself together, idiot._

He stepped forward to search more thoroughly when he heard a tiny sigh. Pausing, he held his breath, ears strained and brow creased in puzzlement.

There it was again.

He turned his head towards the source of the sound just in time to see Castiel’s face peep out from behind the mound of blankets. He was still fast asleep, his mouth agape slightly and scraggly black hair sticking out in all directions. His tiny hands were clutching at the blankets which cocooned him. 

Gabriel smiled in relief and delicately made his way over to the fledgling. He thought back to the fear this little angel had inspired, shaking his head in disbelief. 

He was just so.. Harmless. Innocence radiated from Castiel like power from Michael, or untrustworthiness from Lucifer, or vibrancy from Balthazar. 

The archangel knelt down beside the little one and reached out a hand, gently stroking the fledgling’s cheek with a finger. Castiel’s bright azurite eyes fluttered open and they regarded each other in the peaceful quiet of Balthazar’s room.

“Heya, buddy,” Gabriel said with a small smile, his voice rising slightly in pitch.

Castiel blinked a few times before cracking a big, gummy smile that melted something deep in Gabriel’s chest. The fledgling lifted his chubby arms and waved them, grasping at the air in front of Gabriel’s face. 

“Well hello there, big guy,” Gabriel laughed, reaching down to grip the fledgling’s middle before pausing, remembering how Anna had taught him to pick Castiel up. Changing position, he scooped the little one up, making sure to support his head by resting it on his shoulder. 

He cringed as he waited for the crying to start, but nothing came. Instead, the little one gurgled happily and reached out to grab the archangel’s nose which had them both chuckling.

“So, I’m guessing you missed me, huh?”

Castiel giggled, which Gabriel took as a yes.

|/#~#\|

It was as Gabriel carried Castiel down the stairs that he noticed something a little different about the fledgling.

“Has Cas gotten heavier?” he asked Anna as he opened the door to the main living quarters, the fledgling cradled gently in his left arm. 

Anna looked up from pinning Balthazar’s robes and smiled.

“He should have done. He’s been asleep for hours,”

“Because of the bed I made him,” piped Balthazar before letting out a whine and glaring at Anna. “It’s too tight around my neck and it itches,”

“Stop complaining, Balthazar, and hold still,” she said in a fed-up monotone. Her fledgling huffed dramatically, crossing his arms. Gabriel was smirking at the stroppy little angel when he noticed the neat golden thread decorating the edges of his robe.

“Why the posh frock, Balth?”

The fledgling's foul expression washed off his face in a wave of delight as he heard Gabriel’s nickname for him. He puffed his chest out, his cheeks reddening. 

“I’m getting ready for lessons!” he said enthusiastically. Anna shot a grateful expression at Gabriel as her fledgling finally held still and she was able to fasten his robes securely. “I’m actually at the top of my class.” 

The archangel raised his eyebrows, letting out a short whistle. “Wowzer!”

Balthazar seemed to grow an extra inch.

“Actually, we were wondering if you and Castiel would like to attend,” Anna said, quickly adding, “If it’s safe, of course,”

For a few seconds, Gabriel was silent, blinking in surprise.

“Er, yeah, it should be. Michael said he was cool with Cas after, you know, he got his ass handed to him,” 

“ _Gabriel_ can say ass-” muttered Balthazar

“ _Gabriel_ is an archangel,” Anna replied sternly before turning back to the archangel, “I just think it would be beneficial to Castiel, to interact with other angel and fledglings. Maybe it will help them to understand him, too,”

Gabriel nodded in understanding.

“ _And_ ,” Anna added, “it will be good for him to get used to study class as he’ll soon have to join once he’s a bit bigger,”

Again, Gabriel nodded, though Anna could see there was something he was unclear about. He stayed silent for a few moments before seeing Anna’s eyebrows rise questioningly. Tired of looking like an idiot, he let out a small sigh of frustration.

“So, what exactly _is_ a study class?”

“You don’t know?” 

“I don't know if you’ve noticed, but I’m kind of new to all this,” he said with a lopsided grin, adjusting Castiel who had fallen back to sleep again.

“Oh, of course,” she smiled, slightly embarrassed, “A study class is a place in which an experienced angel teached the fledgling’s all they need to know. Usually, it's Joshua.”

Gabriel nodded, this time fully understanding.

“How many students are there usually?”

“It can depends, sometimes 50-100, sometimes less,”

Gabriel looked at the sleeping fledgling curled up in his arms.

“Are you sure they’ll all be safe?” he meant to say sarcastically but ended up sneering bitterly. Anna smiled sympathetically.

“Did Michael say he was unsafe again?”

The archangel shook his head. “Naomi did,”

The other angel froze, her entire body turning still as if in immediate danger. Unknowingly, one of her pale pink wings stretched a little closer to Balthazar, ready to shield him from any immediate danger.

“What did Naomi have to say to the archangels?”

Gabriel’s brow creased in confusion. _Why is she so fearful? Naomi’s her guardian, isn't she?_

He opened his mouth to explain when he saw Balthazar listening intently.

“I’ll tell you later,”

Anna also saw Balthazar’s face, now disappointed, and reluctantly agreed. Within a few seconds she had gathered herself and smiled.

“Okay then, let's get going,” she said. As she walked towards the nest’s exit, Gabriel noticed her wings were still on edge, each feather ruffled slightly with anxiety as if electrocuted with energy.

Balthazar went to follow when the archangel nudged him gently. The little angel looked up with a puzzled expression.

“Where’s Loki?”

The fledgling’s confusion fizzled away and his blue eyes twinkled with glee. Carefully, he reached down the front of his robe and, resting on his finger, came a rather bedraggled looking beetle.

“I took really good care of him,” said Balthazar solemnly. The pointed glare Loki gave Gabriel indicated the beetle disagreed. 

“Thanks, kid. You did me a massive favour,”

Gabriel crouched down and extended his hand, which Loki crawled onto hurriedly. 

“You’re welcome,” beamed Balthazar.

“We’re going to be late,” warned Anna from the door.

“Coming!” shouted the fledgling and he ran to catch her up, followed by Gabriel, Castiel and a rather furious looking beetle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, what did you think?? I hope you guys enjoyed reading, if you've got any praise or constructive criticism, please let me know in the comments. Again, I'm really sorry I've taken this long to publish, you guys deserve better.  
> Thanks for reading! Until next time :)
> 
> Sophie xx

**Author's Note:**

> So, was it good? Bad? Would you like to read more or should I just stop now before I embarrass myself further? Please leave a kudos, comment or constructive critism to let me know how I've done.  
> Thank you!  
> Sophie xx


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